S 2268: Prohibits drivers of a bus, taxi or livery from using hands-free mobile telephones; provides for certain exceptions.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2268 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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