A 7350: Enacts the "make the MTA safe again act" to suspend state funding to the metropolitan transportation authority and New York city transit authority pending safety compliance and until an independent forensic audit is conducted and completed.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7350 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 25, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to suspending state funding to the metropolitan transportation authority and New York city transit authority pending safety compliance and a forensic audit; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "make the MTA safe again act." 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that the 4 safety and security of transit passengers and workers within the metro- 5 politan transportation authority (MTA) and New York city transit author- 6 ity (NYCTA) systems are of paramount concern. Recent reports and over- 7 sight actions by the United States department of transportation 8 highlight significant deficiencies in crime prevention, fare enforce- 9 ment, and transit worker safety. New York State taxpayers deserve 10 accountability in transit funding, ensuring that financial resources are 11 directed toward public safety and system integrity. This act mandates a 12 temporary halt on state funding to the MTA and NYCTA until critical 13 safety and security benchmarks are met and an independent forensic audit 14 of the MTA's finances is completed. 15 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 16 1279-m to read as follows: 17 § 1279-m. Suspension of state funding. 1. Notwithstanding any other 18 provision of law to the contrary, no future state funds shall be 19 disbursed to the authority or the New York city transit authority until 20 such time as the authorities provide sufficient documentation and 21 compliance with the following requirements: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11187-01-5 
 A. 7350 2 1 (a) Implementation of a comprehensive plan to reduce transit worker 2 assaults, including completion of de-escalation training for all rele- 3 vant employees and expansion of law enforcement presence within the 4 transit system; 5 (b) Demonstrable reduction in fare evasion through enforcement actions 6 and improved fare collection systems; 7 (c) Implementation of specific crime reduction measures to address 8 subway pushings, violent assaults, and other criminal activity occurring 9 on transit property; and 10 (d) Expanded efforts to prevent injuries and fatalities related to 11 suicide, trespassing, and "subway surfing." 12 2. (a) No state funds shall be appropriated or released to the author- 13 ity or New York city transit authority until an independent forensic 14 audit of the authority's finances is conducted and completed by an inde- 15 pendent auditor unaffiliated with the agency or its subsidiaries. 16 (b) Such audit shall assess financial management, security-related 17 expenditures, fare evasion loss estimates, and the allocation of state 18 and federal funds for safety improvements. 19 (c) The independent auditor shall provide a public report of findings, 20 and the authority shall be required to implement all recommendations to 21 address financial mismanagement, inefficiencies, and deficiencies 22 related to transit security. 23 3. (a) The authority and New York city transit authority shall submit 24 compliance reports detailing progress on safety and security benchmarks 25 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of 26 the assembly, and the minority leaders of the senate and the assembly on 27 a quarterly basis. 28 (b) A joint legislative committee shall be empowered to review compli- 29 ance and recommend continuation or repeal of the funding suspension 30 based on demonstrated improvements. 31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 32 deemed repealed upon verified and satisfactory compliance by the metro- 33 politan transportation authority with the provisions of section 1279-m 34 of the public authorities law pursuant to section three of this act; 35 provided that the chair of the metropolitan transportation authority 36 shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occur- 37 rence of the completion of the comprehensive plan and the forensic audit 38 pursuant to section 1279-m of the public authorities law provided for in 39 section three of this act in order that the commission may maintain an 40 accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws 41 of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions 42 of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public 43 officers law.