New York Assembly Bill A09749 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9749  IN ASSEMBLY April 3, 2024 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to providing an exemption from certain laws for operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels responding to emergencies on the navigable waters of the state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section 39-c 2 to read as follows: 3 § 39-c. Law enforcement and fire department vessels. 1. The operator 4 of a law enforcement or fire department vessel, when involved in an 5 emergency operation on the navigable waters of the state, may exercise 6 the privileges set forth in subdivision two of this section, but subject 7 to the conditions set forth in subdivisions three and four of this 8 section. 9 2. The operator of a law enforcement or fire department vessel may 10 disregard any law, rule or regulation of this state or any local law or 11 ordinance of a municipality of this state governing the movement or 12 turning of vessels upon such navigable waters. 13 3. The privileges granted to the operator of a law enforcement or fire 14 department vessel pursuant to this section shall apply only when audible 15 signals are sounded from any such vessel while in motion by bell, horn, 16 siren, electronic device or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably neces- 17 sary, and when the vessel is equipped with at least one lighted lamp so 18 that from any direction, under normal atmospheric conditions from a 19 distance of five hundred feet from such vessel, at least one blue or red 20 light will be displayed and visible. 21 4. The provisions of this section shall not relieve the operator of a 22 law enforcement or fire department vessel from the duty to operate such 23 vessel with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such 24 provisions protect the operator from the consequences of his or her 25 reckless disregard for the safety of others. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08288-01-3