BILL NUMBER: S2168
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to allowing the
New York state thruway authority to provide a discounted toll rate to
farmers transporting agricultural products
 
PURPOSE:
To reduce the transportation costs that New York farmers face when
bringing agricultural products to market.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the Public Authorities Law by adding a section 354(a),
which provides a fifty percent discount.on tolls along roads maintained
by the Thruway Authority for farmers who have filed a "Farmer's and
Commercial Horse Boarding Operator's Exemption Certificate"(ST-125).
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In recent years, there has been a local food movement in New York State,
where residents are starting to see the benefits of purchasing locally
grown products. They support farmers who live in their own state, or
even in their immediate county. In turn, residents receive healthy foods
that don't have the artificial preservatives needed to ship the products
across long distances. High transportation costs are often a factor that
prevent farmers from shipping goods to market. Farmers have tight profit
margins, and the combination of fuel, vehicle maintenance, and highway
tolls does not help their financial situation. This bill reduces those
expenses by allowing farmers who are in the process of shipping goods to
only pay half the normal toll. It eases the burden of the Thruway's high
user fees, which are only increasing with time. This bill supports the
local food movement and assists the state's agriculture sector.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S1089 Comrie/ A1012 Stirpe
2021-2022: S.3433- referred to transportation
2015-2016: S.4826-A passed senate
2017-2018: S.1240-A/A.10493 passed senate
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 1, 2026