A01254 Summary:

BILL NOA01254
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORBores
 
COSPNSRSeawright
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add §1244, V & T L
 
Requires businesses that use bicycles with electric assist to require certain employees to watch an online safety course video once per year.
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A01254 Actions:

BILL NOA01254
 
01/09/2025referred to transportation
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A01254 Committee Votes:

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A01254 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A01254 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1254      Revised 04/29/25
 
SPONSOR: Bores
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating an online safety course video for bicycles with electric assist   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Requires businesses that use bicycles with electronic assist to require certain employees and independent contractors to watch an online safety course video.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section one directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to create a video on the safe ownership and operation of e-bikes, covering topics like how to operate safely around pedestrians and how to store batteries safely. Section two requires that this video be free for anyone to view online. Section three establishes that, if a company wants to hire someone for a job involving e-bikes, that company must verify that the person they want to hire has watched this video within the last year. Section four establishes that,, if a company violates section three, the company shall receive a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for every worker that has not received the training, and that the attorney general shall be able to investigate potential violations. This act will take effect immediately with the exception of the enforcement that will be mandated to start six months from the passage of this act.   JUSTIFICATION: We all want our streets to be safe, and our streets are less dangerous when everyone who operates a vehicle has been taught how to operate it correctly. We protect pedestrians, motorists, and the people who ride e-bikes by properly educating the public about e-bike safety. This bill requires the DMV to create free, publicly accessible educational videos regarding e-bike safety be it owning one, operating one, or general road safety standards. This bill also stipulates that companies can only hire or contract a person to do e-bike-related jobs if said individual has watched these videos, certifying that they have been educated on road and e-bike safety. That way, both e-bike job workers and pedestrians alike can avoid injuries on the street. Everybody wins when everyone on the road operates safely.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: A7938 of 2023/2024 A7938 - referred to transportation   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: None.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately
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A01254 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1254
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 9, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. BORES, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Transportation
 
        AN  ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating an
          online safety course video for bicycles with electric assist
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.   Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "electric bicycle instruction and knowledge ensures safety (E-BIKES)
     3  act".
     4    § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
     5  1244 to read as follows:
     6    §  1244. Online safety course video for bicycles with electric assist.
     7  1. Businesses that use bicycles with electric assist shall  require  all
     8  employees  whose jobs include or could reasonably be expected to include
     9  riding a bicycle with electric assist and  all  independent  contractors
    10  whose  jobs  include or could reasonably be expected to include riding a
    11  bicycle with electric assist to view an online safety  course  video  on
    12  bicycles with electric assist, as created pursuant to subdivision two of
    13  this section.
    14    2. (a) Within twelve months of the effective date of this section, the
    15  department  shall  be  required  to  create and approve an online safety
    16  course video for businesses to  provide  to  all  employees  whose  jobs
    17  include or could reasonably be expected to include riding a bicycle with
    18  electric  assist  and  all independent contractors whose jobs include or
    19  could reasonably be expected to include riding a bicycle  with  electric
    20  assist pursuant to subdivision one of this section.
    21    (b)  Such  video  shall  cover topics related to how to safely own and
    22  operate bicycles with electric assist, including but not limited to  how
    23  to operate such bicycles in traffic and safely around pedestrians, safe-
    24  ly  using batteries for such bicycles, and best practices for buying and
    25  storing such bicycles.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02267-01-5

        A. 1254                             2
 
     1    (c) The department shall make such video freely and  easily  available
     2  on the department's website.
     3    (d)  The  department shall review such video no less than every twelve
     4  months in order to ensure that its content remains consistent with  best
     5  practices.  Upon completing each review, the department shall update the
     6  video in whatever manner is necessary to make its content and  recommen-
     7  dations conform to current best practices.
     8    3.  It shall be unlawful for a business to allow any employee or inde-
     9  pendent contractor to perform a task for  such  business  that  involves
    10  riding  a  bicycle with electric assist, or could reasonably be expected
    11  to involve riding a bicycle with electric assist, unless  such  employee
    12  or  contractor  has  viewed  the  online  safety course video within the
    13  previous calendar year.
    14    4. The attorney general shall be authorized to impose a civil  penalty
    15  of  up to one thousand dollars on a business for each person who has not
    16  viewed the online safety course video within the previous calendar  year
    17  who  such business employs or contracts to perform a task that involves,
    18  or could reasonably be expected to involve, riding a bicycle with  elec-
    19  tric assist.  The attorney general shall be authorized to take proof and
    20  make  a  determination  of  the relevant facts and to issue subpoenas in
    21  accordance with the civil practice law and rules.
    22    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
    23  subdivisions  3 and 4 of section 1244 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
    24  added by section one of this act,  shall  take  effect  eighteen  months
    25  after this act shall have become a law.
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