Dedicates a portion of the state highway system including the bridge on the South Service Road, between Federal Circle and Perimeter Road Overpass, crossing over the Van Wyck Expressway in Jamaica to Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M. Ansert Jr.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7849C
SPONSOR: Anderson TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system to Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M.
Ansert Jr.
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 "Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M.
Ansert Jr."
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-s to
read as follows:
§ 344-s. Portion of the state highway system to be dedicated to Port
Authority Police Officer Arthur M. Ansert Jr. All that portion of the
state highway system constituting the bridge on the South Service Road,
between Federal Circle and the Perimeter Road Overpass, crossing over
the Van Wyck Expressway in the neighborhood of Jamaica, county of
Queens, shall be dedicated to Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M.
Ansert Jr.
§ 2. The executive director of the port authority of New York and New
Jersey shall provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate
signing of the state highway system as dedicated pursuant to section one
of this act, provided that such signing shall state "Bridge Dedicated to
Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M Ansert Jr". However, to avoid
confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the dedi-
cation called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be one of
ceremonial nature and the official name of such bridge shall not be
changed as a result of this act.
JUSTIFICATION:
Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M. Ansert Jr. was struck and killed
by a drunk driver at the age of 25 on October 8, 1973 while conducting a
traffic stop on the Van Wyck Expressway several feet from the proposed
memorial bridge. Officer Ansert was a U.S. Navy veteran and served with
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department for one
year. He is survived by his wife, parents, brother, and two sisters.
Officer Ansert's name is memorialized at the National Law Enforcement
Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the New York State Police Memorial in
Albany. The Port Authority PBA, Officer Ansert's former union, seeks to
see them eternally remembered at this most important location by renam-
ing a portion of the New York State highway system in their honor.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the port
authority of New York and New Jersey shall not be subject to the
provisions of this act until the date of enactment into law by the state
of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this act,
but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such legis-
lation the provisions of this act shall apply to the port authority of
New York and New Jersey immediately; and provided further, that the
executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occur-
rence of the enactment of the legislation provided for in this act in
order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective
data base of the official text of laws of the state of New York in
furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legisla-
tive law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7849--C
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 11, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ANDERSON, ROZIC, HYNDMAN, BRAUNSTEIN,
PHEFFER AMATO, BERGER, HEVESI, HOOKS, WEPRIN, COOK, DeSTEFANO -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in
accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system to Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M.
Ansert Jr.
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-s to
2 read as follows:
3 § 344-s. Portion of the state highway system to be dedicated to Port
4 Authority Police Officer Arthur M. Ansert Jr. All that portion of the
5 state highway system constituting the bridge on the South Service Road,
6 between Federal Circle and the Perimeter Road Overpass, crossing over
7 the Van Wyck Expressway in the neighborhood of Jamaica, county of
8 Queens, shall be dedicated to Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M.
9 Ansert Jr.
10 § 2. The executive director of the port authority of New York and New
11 Jersey shall provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate
12 signing of the state highway system as dedicated pursuant to section one
13 of this act, provided that such signing shall state "Bridge Dedicated to
14 Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M Ansert Jr". However, to avoid
15 confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the dedi-
16 cation called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be one of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11359-09-6
A. 7849--C 2
1 ceremonial nature and the official name of such bridge shall not be
2 changed as a result of this act.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
4 the port authority of New York and New Jersey shall not be subject to
5 the provisions of this act until the date of enactment into law by the
6 state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this
7 act, but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such
8 legislation the provisions of this act shall apply to the port authority
9 of New York and New Jersey immediately; and provided further, that the
10 executive director of the port authority of New York and New Jersey
11 shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occur-
12 rence of the enactment of the legislation provided for in this act in
13 order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective
14 data base of the official text of laws of the state of New York in
15 furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legisla-
16 tive law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
