A 1233: Prohibits drivers of a bus, taxi or livery from using hands-free mobile telephones; provides for certain exceptions.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1233 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, SANTABARBARA, TAYLOR, McDONOUGH, DeSTEFA- NO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to drivers of buses, taxis and livery vehicles using hands-free mobile telephones The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic 2 law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows: 3 (e) No driver of a bus, livery or taxi shall use a hands-free mobile 4 telephone while operating a moving bus or motor vehicle except in the 5 case of an emergency pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision three of 6 this section or if such hands-free mobile telephone is used for dispatch 7 or if the bus or motor vehicle is parked, for purposes other than drop- 8 ping off or picking up passengers, at the side of, or off, a public 9 highway in a location where such vehicle is not otherwise prohibited 10 from stopping by law, rule, regulation or any lawful order or direction 11 of a police officer. 12 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic law, 13 as added by chapter 69 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as 14 follows: 15 3. Subdivision two of this section shall not apply to (a) the use of a 16 mobile telephone for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the 17 following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response opera- 18 tor; a hospital, physician's office or health clinic; an ambulance 19 company or corps; a fire department, district or company; or a police 20 department, (b) any of the following persons while in the performance of 21 their official duties: a police officer or peace officer; a member of a 22 fire department, district or company; or the operator of an authorized 23 emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this chapter, 24 or (c) the use of a hands-free mobile telephone, except in the case of a 25 driver operating a bus, taxi or livery. 26 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 27 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02750-01-5