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Bill

S 10596

Relates to authorities which collect tolls

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Monica Martinez

Requires toll authorities to publish annual toll violation and cost reports and creates a NY-NJ Toll and Fees Reduction Task Force to study reforms and potential amnesty.

REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS
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Bill Summary · S 10596

Overview

S. 10596 proposes two main changes related to toll collection in New York (with cooperation with New Jersey):

1) Requires public authorities that collect tolls to submit an annual report to the New York Legislature detailing toll collection violations, violator statistics, and processing costs.
2) Establishes the New York and New Jersey Toll and Fees Reduction Task Force to study tolling processes, costs, and potential reforms aiming to reduce tolls and administrative fees, including considerations of amnesty programs, congestion pricing impacts, and shifting costs away from casual violators toward repeat violators. The task force would produce a final report within two years of its first meeting.

Key Provisions

  • Public authorities that collect tolls must publish an annual report to the Legislature (new subdivision 2-a of Public Authorities Law § 2800):

    • (i) Number of violations of toll collection monitoring regulations in the past year
    • (ii) Frequency of toll violations per individual
    • (iii) Total revenue collected in the past year from repeat violators (as referenced in related law)
    • (iv) Year-to-year comparison of toll violations and violator frequency for the past five years
    • (v) Explanation of the administrative costs of processing a toll and a toll violation
    • The first report due one year after the effective date of the subdivision

  • New York and New Jersey Toll and Fees Reduction Task Force (establishment and duties):

    • 12 members total: 6 appointed by New York, 6 by New Jersey
    • New York appointments: 2 by the governor, 1 by the temporary president of the Senate, 1 by the Senate minority leader, 1 by the Assembly Speaker, 1 by the Assembly minority leader
    • Members should have expertise in transportation, tolling operations/enforcement, traffic engineering, procurement, IT systems, public finance, and data analysis
    • Co-chairs: one member from each state, elected by the state-appointed members
    • Meeting requirements: initial meeting within six months of all appointments; monthly meetings thereafter
    • Quorum: three members from each state
    • Voting: simple majority for most business; final report requires at least seven affirmative votes
    • Compensation: no pay, but expense reimbursement available
    • Tasks:
    • Identify tolling process inefficiencies and cost-reduction options
    • Consider and propose an amnesty program for tolls
    • Assess impact of congestion pricing on motorists
    • Explore methods to shift costs from occasional/inadvertent violators to repeat violators
    • Advisory committees: may be established; chaired by a task force member
    • Intergovernmental information requests: may request studies/analyses from New York or New Jersey state agencies; information to be kept confidential and used for task force purposes
    • Final report: due within two years of the first meeting to the governor and legislatures of New York and New Jersey, including findings, conclusions, and any recommended legislation

  • Effective date:

    • The act takes effect immediately, with the toll-reporting provisions taking effect one year after the effective date.
    • The task force provisions take effect only if New Jersey enacts identical enabling legislation; otherwise, the act’s toll-report provisions still take effect.

Who Is Affected

  • Public authorities in New York that collect tolls (e.g., bridges, tunnels, and other toll facilities) will must submit annual performance and cost data.
  • State policymakers in New York and New Jersey, and toll system stakeholders, through the creation of the cross-state tolling task force.
  • Motorists and toll violators may see policy considerations aimed at reducing tolls and administrative fees, as well as possible changes to enforcement and amnesty mechanisms.
  • New York and New Jersey state agencies may be asked to provide data and analyses to support the task force’s work.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Subdivision 2-a reporting requirement: first annual report due one year after the bill’s effective date.
  • Establishment of the New York and New Jersey Toll and Fees Reduction Task Force: contingent on identical legislation being enacted by New Jersey.
  • Task force timeline: initial meeting within six months of all appointments; monthly meetings thereafter; final report due within two years of the first meeting, shared with both states’ executives and legislatures.
  • Financials: task force members are uncompensated but reimbursed for reasonable expenses.

Summary

S. 10596 aims to enhance transparency in toll collection by requiring annual reporting on toll violations and processing costs, and to pursue cross-state tolling reforms through a jointly formed New York–New Jersey Toll and Fees Reduction Task Force. The bill seeks to reduce overall toll costs and administrative fees while addressing enforcement equity and exploring amnesty options and the implications of congestion pricing.

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

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