STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2787
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 29, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
        AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to allowing  the
          New  York state thruway authority to provide a discounted toll rate to
          farmers transporting agricultural products
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The  public  authorities  law  is amended by adding a new
     2  section 354-a to read as follows:
     3    § 354-a. Discount for farmers. Farmers, engaged in  activities  listed
     4  in  subdivision  four of section two of the agriculture and markets law,
     5  and producing products as defined in subdivision five of section two  of
     6  the  agriculture and markets law, shall receive a toll discount on roads
     7  maintained by the thruway authority. Those farmers eligible  for  a  tax
     8  exemption  under  subparagraph (A) of paragraph two of subsection (a) of
     9  section six hundred six of the tax law will be discounted fifty  percent
    10  of  the normal toll rate. This discount shall not apply to surcharges in
    11  addition to the regular crossing fare, and shall not be  used  in  occa-
    12  sions  of  non-commercial  vehicle  travel.  Farmers  receiving  the tax
    13  exemption under subparagraph (A) of paragraph two of subsection  (a)  of
    14  section six hundred six of the tax law may file the certificate produced
    15  for  that  exemption  with  the  thruway  authority.  Upon receiving the
    16  certificate, the thruway authority shall issue E-ZPass tags to the farm-
    17  ers, providing them the fifty percent toll rate discount.
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00550-02-9