S 8478: Requires street pricing for pre-packaged food and beverage items sold by vendors at certain transportation facilities and on toll roads; defines street pricing; provides that vendors may be subject to civil penalties not to exceed five hundred dollars per violation.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8478 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE August 15, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BASKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the transportation law, the highway law and the public authorities law, in relation to requiring street pricing for pre-pack- aged food and beverage items sold by vendors at certain transportation facilities and on toll roads The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that 2 consumers in transit hubs and along toll roads are often subject to 3 inflated prices for pre-packaged food and beverage items. These price 4 disparities disproportionately impact lower- and middle-income travelers 5 and create an inconsistent and often exploitative marketplace. It is the 6 intent of the legislature to promote fairness and affordability by 7 requiring vendors and contractors operating in public transportation 8 facilities to adopt a "street pricing" model that reflects prices 9 charged outside such facilities. 10 § 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 24 to 11 read as follows: 12 § 24. Street pricing requirements for transportation facility vendors. 13 1. For the purposes of this section, "street pricing" shall mean prices 14 comparable to those charged for the same or substantially similar items 15 sold by the same vendor or a similar vendor outside a transportation 16 facility within a reasonable geographic radius, not to exceed five 17 miles. 18 2. Any vendor operating within a state-operated or state-leased trans- 19 portation facility, including but not limited to airports, train 20 stations, and bus terminals, shall be required to sell all pre-packaged 21 food and beverage items at street pricing. 22 3. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to 23 implement and enforce the provisions of this section, including but not EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13388-01-5 
 S. 8478 2 1 limited to methods of verifying compliance, consumer complaint proce- 2 dures, and penalties for non-compliance, and to ensure uniform enforce- 3 ment of this section. 4 4. A vendor may be subject to civil penalties not to exceed five 5 hundred dollars per violation for any violation of this section. 6 Repeated violations may result in suspension or revocation of vendor 7 contracts or leases. 8 § 3. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 20-a to read 9 as follows: 10 § 20-a. Street pricing for food and beverage sales on toll roads. 1. 11 For the purposes of this section, "street pricing" shall have the same 12 meaning as in section twenty-four of the transportation law. 13 2. Any third-party contractor, vendor, or concessionaire operating on 14 any state-owned or state-leased toll road, including service plazas, 15 rest stops, or other traveler facilities, shall be required to utilize 16 street pricing for all pre-packaged food and beverage items offered for 17 sale. 18 3. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to 19 implement and enforce the provisions of this section, including but not 20 limited to methods of verifying compliance, consumer complaint proce- 21 dures, and penalties for non-compliance, and to ensure uniform enforce- 22 ment of this section. 23 4. Any violations of this section shall be subject to the same penal- 24 ties as outlined in section twenty-four of the transportation law. 25 § 4. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 390 26 to read as follows: 27 § 390. Street pricing for food and beverage sales at service areas. 1. 28 For the purposes of this section, "street pricing" shall have the same 29 meaning as in section twenty-four of the transportation law. 30 2. Any third-party contractor, vendor, or concessionaire operating in 31 any service area maintained or operated by the authority shall be 32 required to utilize street pricing for all pre-packaged food and bever- 33 age items offered for sale. 34 3. The authority shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to imple- 35 ment and enforce the provisions of this section, including but not 36 limited to methods of verifying compliance, consumer complaint proce- 37 dures, and penalties for non-compliance, and to ensure uniform enforce- 38 ment of this section. 39 4. Any violations of this section shall be subject to the same penal- 40 ties as outlined in section twenty-four of the transportation law. 41 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 42 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 43 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 44 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 45 completed on or before such effective date.