NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8703A
SPONSOR: Magnarelli TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to school bus
stop-arm cameras
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation is intended clarify the adjudication process-of
violations issued pursuant to New York's stop-arm school bus and work
zone speed camera programs.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision h of section 1174-a of the Vehicle and
Traffic Law, to clarify adjudication processes for violations issued for
the school bus stop-arm camera program.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York in 2019 established the ability for localities to utilize a
camera system to catch drivers illegally passing school buses while
discharging passengers. In 2021, New York established a similar program
to utilize a camera system to catch drivers illegally speeding in work
zones. However, confusion still exists over which local courts adjudi-
cate these violations, leading to some violations not being calendared
by local courts to be heard. This bill will clarify what process local
courts must utilize in these situations, timelines that must be
followed, and rules of the court to be followed.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
No negative impacts anticipated.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately, provided that amendments made to
the various existing sections of law shall not affect the repeal of such
section as prescribed by current law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8703--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to school bus
stop-arm cameras
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (h) of section 1174-a of the vehicle and traf-
2 fic law, as added by chapter 145 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 (h) Adjudication of the liability imposed upon owners by this section
5 shall be by a traffic violations bureau established pursuant to section
6 three hundred seventy of the general municipal law where the violation
7 occurred or, if there be none, by the court having jurisdiction over
8 traffic infractions where the violation occurred, except that if a city
9 has established an administrative tribunal to hear and determine
10 complaints of traffic infractions constituting parking, standing or
11 stopping violations such city may, by local law, authorize such adjudi-
12 cation by such tribunal. For courts having jurisdiction over traffic
13 infractions where the violation occurred that adjudicate liability
14 imposed upon owners by this section, a notice of liability validly
15 imposed in accordance with subdivision (g) of this section shall be
16 valid for purposes of such court adjudicating such liability as if it
17 was a uniform traffic ticket or simplified traffic information, and such
18 court shall adjudicate such liability in a manner not inconsistent with
19 sections two hundred forty and two hundred forty-one of this chapter,
20 provided that subsequent judicial review may be sought pursuant to arti-
21 cle seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules. Notwithstanding
22 any inconsistent provision, such courts may adjudicate such liability
23 remotely.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
25 the amendments to subdivision (h) of section 1174-a of the vehicle and
26 traffic law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal
27 of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13028-03-5
