BILL NUMBER: S759
SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to directing the chancel-
lor of the New York city school district to establish a student fare
program
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the public authorities law by adding a new section
1266-1 to establish a student fare program to provide three free fares
between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM on weekdays to K-12 students in New York
City living half a mile or more away from their school
Section 2 provides the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Some New York City Students are eligible for specific MetroCards from
their school, which permits them to travel to & back from school & other
school-related events free of cost. Thanks to a collaboration between
the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the NYC Department of
Education.
However, based on input from NYC students & their families expressing
the program does not currently serve them effectively, this Act requires
the MTA to extend the eligible usage hours for student MetroCards from
now only 5:30 AM until 8:30 PM to instead 5:00 AM until 10:00 PM.
This legislation is based on first-hand accounts of NYC's diverse
student population for whom the current program doesn't meet their
needs. This was also indicated In a recent survey of 881 NYC students,
where 73.2% responded that they take part in afterschool activities that
require public transit after 8:30 pm.
Thus current time restraints placed on student MetroCards uninten-
tionally limit opportunity, particularly for students with longer
commutes & complex schedules. It is a continued objective of the city &
state to provide free transportation to students to and from school and
school-related activities. Therefore this legislation ensures that goal
is better met by recognizing that many students' extracurricular activ-
ities & commutes require transportation outside of the current hours of
5:30 AM and 8:30 PM.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
01/05/22 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION Significant Act
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
First July 15th after becoming law.

Statutes affected:
S759: 2590-h education law