BILL NUMBER: S7969
SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to limiting
fines for the late payment or evasion of tolls charged by a public
authority
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To require reasonable fines in the case of unpaid tolls.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the Public Authorities Law to change the current onerous and
usurious fine structure of Public Authorities as it relates to unpaid
tolls.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Cashless Tolling is a technology implemented by public authorities to
save them money. The average driver/commuter is not always familiar with
changes in law or policy, and even those who have an EZ Pass may not
monitor their accounts on a moment to moment basis. The average citizen
is not trying to evade tolls or engage in unlawful activity, yet many
people do accrue a balance that is then subject to fines and fees that
are entirely unreasonable and actually inconsistent with other laws on
our books such as loansharking and usurious lending. There is no
rational reason why a fee on a toll should be 10 or 20 times the face
value of the original change. This bill sets a reasonable and lawful
restriction.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
NEW.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
UNDETERMINED.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
IMMEDIATELY.

Statutes affected:
S7969: 2855 public authorities law, 2985 public authorities law, 2985(5) public authorities law, 2985-a public authorities law, 2985-a(3) public authorities law