Requires the periodic inspection of commercial buildings where bicycles with electric assist are repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale, or rental; requires such inspection quarterly; requires the state fire prevention and building code council to establish a fee for such inspection; requires the inspection of such buildings following a fire-related emergency or other fire-related incident.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6953B Revised 11/15/23
SPONSOR: Chang TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the
inspection of buildings where bicycles with electric assist are
repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale, or rental
PURPOSE:
To prevent property damage and loss of life from e-bike fires by requir-
ing commercial buildings where e-bikes are repaired, sold, rented, or
stored for repair, sale, or rental to be inspected for fire safety on a
quarterly. basis
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds subdivision 21 and subdivision 22 to section 378 of the
Executive law. Subdivision 21 requires that commercial buildings where
bicycles with electrical assist, including any electrical systems of
such bicycles, are repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale,
or rental be inspected by a qualified inspector as determined by the
local government on a quarterly basis. This section also requires that
the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council establish a reason-
able fee for such inspection within forty-five days from the effective
date of this subdivision. Subdivision 22 requires that, after a fire-
related incident occurs in a building where bicycles with electric
assist are repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale, or
rental, no such bicycles shall be stored on the premises for any purpose
until such premises have been inspected and determined to be in compli-
ance with all relevant laws and regulations by an appropriate and quali-
fied inspector as determined by the local government.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect on the sixtieth day
after it shall have become law.
JUSTIFICATION:
The rapid adoption of e-bikes and other electric modes of transportation
has resulted in a rise in accidents which have resulted in five fire-re-
lated deaths and fifty-nine total fires in 2023 in New York City alone.
In another recent incident, sixteen New Yorkers were displaced from
their homes after a fire erupted in a e-bike store and damaged apart-
ments above the store.
This legislation takes a crucial first step by requiring commercial
buildings where E-Bikes are rented, sold, or stored for rental or sale
to be inspected on a quarterly basis by a fire marshal or similar
inspector as designated by the local government. This legislation will
also require that, after any fire-related incident, no E-Bikes are
stored on such premises until the premises have been inspected and found
to be in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations by an appro-
priate and qualified inspector as determined by the local government.
This quickly evolving technology needs to be carefully monitored to
ensure that the latest laws and regulations are being followed and that
lessons learned are immediately applied. While these new methods of
transportation having promising applications in the future, they also
require policymakers, manufacturers, and consumers to take swift action
to adapt to the new hazards that come with them.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Increased use of fire safety inspectors will be offset due to new
inspection fees designated by the State Fire Prevention and Building
Code Council.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6953--B
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 9, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CHANG -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted
as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the
inspection of buildings where bicycles with electric assist are
repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale, or rental
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 378 of the executive law is amended by adding two
2 new subdivisions 21 and 22 to read as follows:
3 21. Standards for fire safety inspections of commercial buildings
4 where bicycles with electric assist are repaired, sold, rented, or
5 stored for repair, sale, or rental requiring an appropriate and quali-
6 fied inspector, as determined by the local government, to perform a
7 quarterly fire safety inspection of any commercial building where bicy-
8 cles with electric assist are repaired, sold, rented, or stored for
9 repair, sale, or rental. The council shall establish a reasonable fee
10 for such inspection within forty-five days of the effective date of this
11 subdivision. For the purposes of this section, "bicycle with electric
12 assist" shall have the same meaning as section one hundred two-c of the
13 vehicle and traffic law and shall further include any batteries or elec-
14 trical systems for a bicycle with electric assist.
15 22. Standards for after a fire-related emergency or other fire-related
16 incident occurs in a building where bicycles with electric assist are
17 repaired, sold, rented, or stored for repair, sale or rental, requiring
18 no bicycles with electric assist be stored on the premises for any
19 purpose until the premises have been inspected and determined to be in
20 compliance with all relevant laws and regulations by an appropriate and
21 qualified inspector as determined by the local government.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
23 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11019-03-3
