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Bill

S 5365

Imposes higher civil penalties upon motor carriers who fail to report to the commissioner of motor vehicles certain disqualifying violations by bus drivers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie

Raises civil penalties for motor carriers who fail to report bus drivers’ disqualifying violations to the DMV, improving safety data and timely enforcement.

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · S 5365

Summary of S 5365

A bill introduced in the New York State Legislature that would strengthen reporting requirements and raise penalties for motor carriers related to bus driver disqualifying violations.

Overview

  • Bill number: S 5365
  • Title: Imposes higher civil penalties upon motor carriers who fail to report to the commissioner of motor vehicles certain disqualifying violations by bus drivers
  • Sponsor: Leroy Comrie (primary)
  • Status: Referred to Transportation
  • Introduced: February 21, 2025
  • Related actions: The bill’s status shows multiple references to “REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION” on the same date
  • Related bills in prior sessions: S 6953, S 3557, S 2925, S 1360

What the bill would do

  • Increase civil penalties for motor carriers that fail to report to the commissioner of motor vehicles certain disqualifying violations by bus drivers.
  • Focuses on improving safety oversight by ensuring that disqualifying driver violations are promptly reported to the DMV, enabling timely enforcement and data accuracy.
  • The exact penalties, the scope of “disqualifying violations,” and the reporting timeline would be defined in the bill’s text (not specified in the provided summary).

Key provisions (as implied by the title)

  • Expanded reporting obligation: Motor carriers must report specific disqualifying violations by bus drivers to the DMV.
  • Higher penalties for noncompliance: Civil penalties assessed against motor carriers would be increased if they fail to report within the required timeframe.
  • Enforcement and administration: The commissioner of motor vehicles would administer and enforce the enhanced penalties and reporting requirement.
  • Definitions: The bill would define what constitutes “disqualifying violations” and who qualifies as a “motor carrier” for the purposes of these requirements.
  • Timing: The statute would specify when reports are due after a disqualifying incident occurs.

Who would be affected

  • Primary: Motor carriers that operate buses.
  • Indirectly affected: Bus drivers (through the safety and licensing data tied to reporting), and state regulators (DMV) responsible for implementing and enforcing the reporting system.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced and referred to the Transportation Committee on February 21, 2025.
  • No further actions listed in the provided material; the bill’s progression would depend on committee consideration and potential amendments.

Context and potential impact

  • Aligns reporting requirements with safety oversight, potentially improving the accuracy of disqualifying-driver data and enabling quicker enforcement actions.
  • Could increase compliance costs for motor carriers due to higher penalties and new reporting obligations.
  • Related prior-session bills suggest ongoing legislative interest in enhancing bus safety and driver-requalification processes.

Note: Specifics on penalty amounts, which disqualifying violations are covered, and reporting deadlines would be detailed in the bill’s full text.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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