NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5493B
SPONSOR: Durso TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to dedicating a portion of
the state highway system to Charlie Bunger Sr.
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to dedicating a portion of
the state highway system to Charlie Bunger Sr.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-r to
read as follows:
§ 344-r. Portion of state highway system to be dedicated to Charlie
Bunger Sr. All that portion of the state highway system constituting
state route twenty-seven-a, also known as Montauk Highway, from its
intersection with Deer Park Avenue to its intersection with Totten Place
in the village of Babylon, county of Suffolk, shall be dedicated to
Charlie Bunger Sr.
§ 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the installa-
tion and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system as
dedicated pursuant to section one of this act, provided that such sign-
ing shall state "Highway Dedicated to Charlie Bunger Sr". However, to
avoid confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the
dedication called for pursuant to section one of this act'shall be one
of ceremonial nature and the official name of such highway shall not be
changed as a result of this act.
JUSTIFICATION:
Local businesses such as the legendary Hunger Surf Shop are the backbone
of our economy. Charlie Bunger Sr. began making surf boards at the age
of 20 in his basement, as word got out about his craftsmanship, orders
for his surfboards began to increase. In 1962 Charlie moved Bunger Surf-
boards into a 2,000 square foot building in Lindenhurst and opened his
first retail store in Copiague. Today, Bunger Surfboards has 4,000
square feet of retail space in Babylon Village, New York and operates a.
2,000 square foot manufacturing facility in West Babylon. The Bunger
name is synonymous with surfboards up and down the east coast and around
the world. Charlie is an inaugural member of the East Coast Surf Legends
Hall of Fame, and a member of the International Surfboard Builders Hall
of Fame and the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. Although Charlie passed
away in 2018, his legacy lives on. The Bunger Surf.Shop in Babylon
Village is recognized as one of the premier shops for surfing goods in
the world and remains the oldest surf company store in North America
among shops that have never changed ownership or location. The Bunger
Surf Shop remains a successful family operated business, and in addition
to surfboards, continues to provide surf lessons and camps to children
and adults.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.5493A; A.5493; A.7844
SAME AS:
S.4615; S.8790
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5493--B
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DURSO, McDONOUGH, DeSTEFANO, K. BROWN -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- again reported from said committee with amend-
ments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to dedicating a portion of
the state highway system to Charlie Bunger Sr.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-r to
2 read as follows:
3 § 344-r. Portion of state highway system to be dedicated to Charlie
4 Bunger Sr. All that portion of the state highway system constituting
5 state route twenty-seven-a, also known as Montauk Highway, from its
6 intersection with Deer Park Avenue to its intersection with Totten Place
7 in the village of Babylon, county of Suffolk, shall be dedicated to
8 Charlie Bunger Sr.
9 § 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the instal-
10 lation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system
11 as dedicated pursuant to section one of this act, provided that such
12 signing shall state "Highway Dedicated to Charlie Bunger Sr". However,
13 to avoid confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the
14 dedication called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be one
15 of ceremonial nature and the official name of such highway shall not be
16 changed as a result of this act.
17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05419-04-5
