BILL NUMBER: S8691
SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to pre-trip
safety briefings for motor carriers that operate charter buses
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to require that passengers on charter buses
equipped with seatbelts are given a safety briefing informing them of
the NYS law requiring their use.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends 509-m of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to require that
charter bus operators provide passengers with a pre-trip safety briefing
on the use of seat belts and the NYS law requiring their use.
Section 2: Amends 1229-c(4)(d) of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to update
the definition of "charter bus" for the purpose of seat belt use.
Section 3: Establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The issue of charter bus safety continues to be an area concern. On
August 22, 2025, a crash on the NYS Thruway near Pembroke, NY killed 5
passengers returning from a trip to Niagara Falls. While the bus was
equipped with seatbelts, they 'were not in use by all passengers.
Chapter 434 of the Laws of 2024 requires that charter bus passengers use
seatbelts on buses equipped with them. This law was passed in response
to another charter bus crash in Orange County in 2023. that killed 2
adult chaperones accompanying a group of Long Island students to a band
camp. The NTSB report of the crash found that they were not wearing
seatbelts, those passengers that were wearing them were relatively unin-
jured.
The NTSB report on the Orange County crash also recommended an update
the NY seat belt to law to require charter bus drivers to provide a
safety briefing on seat belt use prior to departure. This bill imple-
ments that recommendation to require that charter bus drivers provide a
pre-trip safety briefing on seat belt use and the NY law prior to depar-
ture. The goal is to further encourage passengers on charter buses to
buckle up and prevent future fatalities.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
This bill will have no fiscal impact on the State or local governments.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it becomes law.

Statutes affected:
S8691: 509-m vehicle and traffic law, 509-m(9) vehicle and traffic law, 1229-c vehicle and traffic law, 1229-c(4) vehicle and traffic law