NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4226
SPONSOR: Tague
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to prohibiting
grass clippings from being thrown or deposited upon any highway
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill adds grass clippings to the list of objects and substances
prohibited from being thrown or deposited on a roadway to protect motor-
cyclists.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill establishes that no person shall throw or
deposit upon any highway any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire,
cans, grass clippings, snow or any other substance likely to injure any
person, animal, or vehicle upon such highway.
Section two provides for an immediate effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Operating and traveling on a motorcycle brings with it unparalleled
enjoyment but also inherent risk. Hazards on the road that may cause
minimal impact, if any, to a car can trigger a serious accident for
motorcyclists, resulting in severe injury, or even death.
Already on high alert for animals, pedestrians, debris, and other motor-
ists, motorcyclists also need to pay close attention for grass clippings
in the road. This seemingly benign yard waste is as As of 1/31/2023 at
10:59 AMIn Reference to LBD 05801-01-3 slippery as ice for those on a
motorcycle, leaving the operator without traction nor control of their
bike which could ultimately cause the rider to go down.
By explicitly prohibiting grass clippings from being blown into the
roadway, the sponsor hopes people will be more mindful of the dangers
involved and take necessary action to prevent it from occurring when
mowing their lawns - it could save a life.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022:A.9559 held for consideration in Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4226
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAGUE, GALLAHAN, DeSTEFANO, MIKULIN, DAVILA,
LEMONDES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to prohibiting
grass clippings from being thrown or deposited upon any highway
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 1219 of the vehicle and traffic
2 law is amended to read as follows:
3 (a) No person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any glass
4 bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, grass clippings, snow or any
5 other substance likely to injure any person, animal, or vehicle upon
6 such highway.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05801-01-3