Requires police vehicles, fire vehicles, ambulances and emergency ambulance service vehicles to be equipped with appropriate communication devices to facilitate real-time communication with deaf individuals.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3386
SPONSOR: Lavine TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to equipping certain
emergency response vehicles with appropriate communication devices for
deaf individuals
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure that all emergency response vehicles are equipped with commu-
nication devices for the deaf.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends the Executive Law by adding Section 563.
Section 563 states that all emergency response vehicles (ambulances,
police cars, fire vehicles, and emergency ambulance service vehicles)
are required to have an appropriate communication device on board, to
assist in communicating with the deaf.
Section 2 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Emergency situations are often when people are at their most vulnerable,
and in the greatest need of help. However, for the portion of New York-
ers that are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to verbally communicate,
these situations can become much more challenging and potentially life-
threatening. Often, first responders do not have the tools or training
necessary to communicate with these patients.
In February, a school bus carrying seven students to the Mill Neck Manor
School for the Deaf in Nassau County, Long Island slipped on a patch of
black ice and crashed on the side of the road. Luckily, there were no
serious injuries, but it once again highlighted the need for these first
responders to have a better way to communicate with their patients.
Everyone should be able to receive the care they need, and this is an
important step forward.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A10508 local governments
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD 1
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3386
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to equipping certain
emergency response vehicles with appropriate communication devices for
deaf individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 563 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 563. Emergency response vehicles; communication devices. Every
4 police vehicle, fire vehicle, ambulance, or emergency ambulance service
5 vehicle, as such terms are defined in article one of the vehicle and
6 traffic law, shall be equipped with appropriate communication devices to
7 facilitate real-time communication with deaf individuals.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect six months after it shall have become
9 a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05045-01-5
