S 4919: Relates to traffic ticket liability for midwives responding to emergency medical situations.
The bill aims to limit the liability of licensed midwives who are also motor vehicle owners. It introduces a rebuttable presumption that if a midwife is alleged to be liable for a traffic violation committed while responding to an emergency medical situation, they are not liable if they provide proof of their status as a midwife and the emergency nature of the situation. This presumption applies to various traffic violations, including those related to traffic-control indications, maximum speed limits, and bus lane restrictions. The bill takes effect 180 days after it becomes a law and allows for the implementation of necessary rules and regulations on its effective date.
- What is the current status of S 4919?
- As of January 8, 2026, S 4919 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION".
- Did S 4919 pass?
- Not yet. S 4919 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 4919, and where is it now?
- S 4919 was authored by Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton with 2 coauthors. Its committee of record is Senate Transportation.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION |
| Feb. 14, 2025 | REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4919 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 limiting the liability of midwives for monetary penalties for certain traffic violations committed while responding to a patient The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 240 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 1-c to read as follows: 3 1-c. At every hearing for the adjudication of a notice of liability, 4 as provided by this article, there shall be a rebuttable presumption 5 that an owner of a motor vehicle who is a licensed midwife, alleged to 6 be liable in accordance with any provisions of law specifically author- 7 izing the imposition of monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for 8 failure of an operator thereof: to comply with traffic-control indi- 9 cations in violation of subdivision (d) of section eleven hundred eleven 10 of this chapter through the installation and operation of traffic-con- 11 trol signal photo violation-monitoring systems, in accordance with arti- 12 cle twenty-four of this chapter; or to comply with certain posted maxi- 13 mum speed limits in violation of subdivision (b), (c), (d), (f) or (g) 14 of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter through the installa- 15 tion and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in 16 accordance with article thirty of this chapter; or to comply with bus 17 lane restrictions as defined by article twenty-four of this chapter 18 through the installation and operation of bus lane photo devices, in 19 accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, is not liable for 20 such alleged violation if such owner provides the hearing officer with a 21 signed and affirmed affidavit attesting that such owner is a midwife, 22 and was responding to an emergency medical situation at the time that 23 the alleged violation occurred, or such other proof as such hearing 24 officer deems appropriate. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04228-01-5S. 4919 2 1 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 2 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 3 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 4 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 5 completed on or before such effective date.