A 793: Provides that no autonomous vehicle may be used for taxi, livery or transportation network company vehicle services in any city with a population of one million or more without first being licensed by the New York City taxi and limousine commission; requires the New York City taxi and limousine commission to establish a license for use of an autonomous vehicle as a taxicab and to promulgate rules regarding such license and the operation of autonomous taxicabs.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 793 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera- tion of autonomous taxicabs in a city having a population of one million or more The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new 2 section 397-d to read as follows: 3 § 397-d. Autonomous taxicabs. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law 4 to the contrary, no autonomous vehicle may be used for taxi, livery or 5 transportation network company vehicle services in any city with a popu- 6 lation of one million or more without first being duly licensed by the 7 New York city taxi and limousine commission as a taxicab as defined in 8 section one hundred forty-eight-a of this chapter and section 19-502 of 9 the administrative code of the city of New York. 10 2. No autonomous vehicle shall be licensed by the New York city taxi 11 and limousine commission to provide transportation for hire or prear- 12 ranged trips, unless and until the New York city taxi and limousine 13 commission establishes a license for the use of an autonomous vehicle 14 pursuant to subdivision three of this section. The New York city taxi 15 and limousine commission shall not license any autonomous vehicle to 16 provide transportation for hire or prearranged trips unless that vehicle 17 is a taxicab as defined in section one hundred forty-eight-a of this 18 chapter and section 19-502 of the administrative code of the city of New 19 York. 20 3. Before licensing an autonomous vehicle as a taxicab, the New York 21 city taxi and limousine commission shall establish a license for use of 22 an autonomous vehicle as a taxicab and shall promulgate rules regarding 23 such license and the operation of autonomous taxicabs. In promulgating EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01307-01-5 
 A. 793 2 1 such rules, the New York city taxi and limousine commission shall, at a 2 minimum, set requirements for the following: 3 (a) the process for issuing a license to use an autonomous vehicle as 4 a taxicab; 5 (b) the issuance of such licenses only to owners of taxicab medal- 6 lions; 7 (c) the number of such licenses to be issued and any restrictions on 8 the number of licenses that may be issued to any one person or entity; 9 (d) the safety standards for use of an autonomous vehicle as a taxi- 10 cab; 11 (e) the insurance required to use an autonomous vehicle as a taxicab; 12 (f) the reporting to the New York city taxi and limousine commission 13 of trip and revenue data, including the pickup and drop-off location, 14 mileage, and fare for each trip; 15 (g) the vehicle standards for such autonomous vehicles, including 16 whether the vehicle is a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a low- or 17 zero-emissions vehicle; and 18 (h) such other rules as the New York city taxi and limousine commis- 19 sion considers to be necessary for the safe and orderly use of an auton- 20 omous vehicle as a taxicab. 21 4. The New York city taxi and limousine commission shall deny an 22 application for a license for use of an autonomous vehicle as a taxicab 23 if such vehicle or applicant does not comply with the rules of the New 24 York city taxi and limousine commission and, after due notice and an 25 opportunity to be heard, may suspend or revoke a license for failure to 26 comply with such rules. 27 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.