BILL NUMBER: S1511
SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to electronic
appearances for parking violations
 
PURPOSE:
To make it easier for people who have difficulty attending an in-person
hearing that adjudicates parking violations to be able to present their
case.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill adds subdivision 3-a to § 237 of the vehicle and
traffic law to authorize the parking violations bureau to adopt rules
and regulations prescribing electronic appearances at hearings adjudi-
cating parking violations.
Section two of the bill adds subdivision 3 to § 240 of the vehicle and
traffic law to define the types of hearings that can be obtained, speci-
fies how a plea of not guilty may be entered, and outlines the process
for submitting and storing documentation as evidence.
Section three of the bill provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State authorizes municipalities to create parking violations
bureaus to adjudicate parking violations. In many instances, only
in-person hearings are offered to those who enter a plea of not guilty.
Quite often the only virtual option that people have is to upload a
letter of explanation stating the facts and any supporting documentation
of proof. However, they are not afforded the opportunity to attend a
virtual hearing and miss the chance to argue their case.
This was also the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Sandy,
and other major disruptive events. Many parking violations bureaus
Jailed to allow people to adjudicate their hearing virtually. However,
the availability of technology has changed over the last few years with
more user-friendly tools available.
For many individuals in our communities, in-person hearings are a
particular hardship. This can be especially true for seniors or people
with disabilities for whom using public transit or driving long periods
of time may be challenging. This legislation will provide people the
opportunity to choose whether to present their case virtually or in
person.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/28/24 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
90 days after becoming law

Statutes affected:
S1511: 237 vehicle and traffic law, 240 vehicle and traffic law