BILL NUMBER: S8799B
SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system as the "Port Authority Police Officer William
J. Leahy Memorial Bridge"
 
PURPOSE:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system as the "Port Authority Police Officer William J
Leahy Memorial Bridge"
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-p to
read as follows:
Section 344-p. Portion of the state highway system to be designated as
the "Port Authority Police Officer William J Leahy Memorial Bridge".
All that portion of the state highway system constituting the bridge on
the South Service Road, between Federal Circle and the Perimeter Road
Overpass, crossing over the Van Wyck Expressway in the neighborhood of
Jamaica, county of Queens, shall be designated and known as the "Port
Authority Police Officer William J Leahy Memorial Bridge".
Section 2. The commissioner of transportation, in consultation with the
executive director of the port authority of New York and New Jersey,
shall provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate signing
of the state highway system as designated pursuant to section one of
this act. However, to avoid confusion and to limit any possible
disruption of commerce, the designation called for pursuant to section
one of this act shall be one of ceremonial nature and the official name
of such bridge shall not be changed as a result of this act.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Port Authority Police Officer Police Officer William Leahy died at the
age of 49 as the result of cancer that he developed following his
assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center
site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. William, originally sworn in
as a NYPD officer, spent the majority of his 26 year career with the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and was
assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport. He is survived by
loving mother Kathleen and father William. William's name is memorial-
ized at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., and
the New York State Police Memorial in Albany. The Port Authority PBA,
William's former union, seeks to see William eternally remembered at the
location of his former Police Command for his service by renaming a
portion of the New York State highway system in his honor.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The bridge is under the jurisdiction of City and State DOT for oper-
ations and maintenance.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.