NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2144
SPONSOR: Fall TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the tax law, in relation to exempting residents of lower
Manhattan and Staten Island from congestion surcharge pricing
PURPOSE:
This legislation intent is to exempt Lower Manhattan and Staten Island
residents from being assessed Congestion Pricing tolls.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Section 1299-a of the tax law is amended by adding a new
subdivision (e) to read as follows: (e) Notwithstanding any provision of
law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the surcharge imposed by this
article shall not apply to any for-hire transportation trip for a
passenger that resides in the congestion zone or in the borough of
Staten Island. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Congestion pricing refers to the use of electronic tolling to charge
vehicles for entering certain areas during peak commuting hours, ideally
resulting in reduced traffic congestion and increased revenue for tran-
sit-oriented projects. Staten Island being an island where access to a
from the borough is via bridges, one being the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge
where its current levy is already the priciest in the nation. Lower
Manhattan residents who are small business owners are struggling to keep
their businesses open due to rent increases, cannot afford to pay anoth-
er toll in order to access different parts of New York City. Under this
bill, personal cars, motorcycles, taxis, for-hire vehicles and commer-
cial vans of Staten Island and Lower Manhattan residents would be exempt
from the Congestion Pricing Toll.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to state.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2144
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FALL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to exempting residents of lower
Manhattan and Staten Island from congestion surcharge pricing
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1299-a of the tax law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision (e) to read as follows:
3 (e) Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the
4 contrary, the surcharge imposed by this article shall not apply to any
5 for-hire transportation trip for a passenger that resides in the
6 congestion zone or in the borough of Staten Island.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
8 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
9 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
10 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
11 on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05721-01-5
