S 7319: Requires the port authority of New York and New Jersey to acquire an economic impact statement by an independent contractor at least 30 days prior to increasing bridge and tunnel tolls.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7319 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend chapter 47 of the laws of 1931 relating to declaring the policy of the states of New York and New Jersey in regard to certain vehicular bridges and tunnels within the port of New York district, in relation to economic impact statements prior to the increase of tolls for the use of bridges and tunnels The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 11 of chapter 47 of the 2 laws of 1931 relating to declaring the policy of the states of New York 3 and New Jersey in regard to certain vehicular bridges and tunnels within 4 the port of New York district, as amended by chapter 807 of the laws of 5 1955, is amended to read as follows: 6 The port authority is hereby authorized to make and enforce such rules 7 and regulations and to establish, levy and collect such tolls and other 8 charges in connection with any vehicular bridges and tunnels which it 9 may now or hereafter be authorized to own, construct, operate or control 10 (including the said Holland tunnel and the said Midtown Hudson tunnel), 11 as it may deem necessary, proper or desirable, which said tolls and 12 charges shall be at least sufficient to meet the expenses of the 13 construction, operation and maintenance thereof, and to provide for the 14 payment of, with interest upon, and the amortization and retirement of 15 bonds or other securities or obligations issued or incurred for bridge 16 or tunnel purposes. There shall be allocated to the cost of the 17 construction, operation and maintenance of such bridges and tunnels, 18 such proportion of the general expenses of the port authority as it 19 shall deemed properly chargeable thereto. Notwithstanding any other 20 provision of law to the contrary, no toll or other charge in connection 21 with any vehicular bridge or tunnel shall be increased until not less 22 than thirty days after the issuance of an economic impact statement on EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11327-01-5 
 S. 7319 2 1 the proposed increase. Such economic impact statement shall be issued by 2 an independent contractor engaged by the authority based on a study of 3 the economic impact of such proposed increase of the toll or other 4 charge upon all communities affected thereby. 5 § 2. This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the 6 state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this 7 act, but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such 8 legislation, this act shall take effect immediately; provided that the 9 state of New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commis- 10 sion upon the occurrence of the enactment of the legislation provided 11 for in section one of this act in order that the commission may maintain 12 an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the 13 laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the 14 provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the 15 public officers law.