Int. No. 234-A
By Council Members Vacca, Chin, Dromm, Fidler, Koppell, Nelson, Rodriguez, Koo and Van Bramer
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the taxi and limousine commission advisory board.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 19-520 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
§ 19-520 Advisory [Boards] Board. a. Taxi and limousine commission advisory board. There shall be an advisory board whose members shall be appointed for two-year terms by the mayor and the speaker of the council to enable the commission to be kept aware of current views of all segments of the [taxi industry] industries regulated by the commission and of the public and to be available to the commission to provide the expertise of its members for the better administration of the commission and service to the public. Such advisory board shall consider and provide recommendations to the commission regarding issues related to such industries, including, but not limited to, the promulgation of rules, enforcement of existing laws and rules, and issues related to accessibility, safety regulations, fees, rates, work conditions and other industry matters.
b. The advisory board shall consist of [fifteen] twenty-four members, including each chairperson of the transportation, consumer affairs, and finance committees of the council or such chairpersons' designees, as well as one member of each [representing the taxi industry, labor, the commissioner of transportation, the commissioner of consumer affairs, the police commissioner, the director of the bureau of franchises, owner-drivers of taxis, the coach and limousine service industry, the private livery industry, the chairperson of the consumer affairs committee and the finance committee of the council and five members of the general public, one from each of the boroughs of the city.
c. Advisory board on transportation of the handicapped. There shall be an advisory board to advise the commission as to fees, safety regulations and any other matters concerning wheelchair accessible vans and handicapped transportation services.
d. This board shall consist of fifteen members to be appointed for two-year terms as follows: two, at least one of whom is handicapped, by the delegation of council members from each borough and five, at least three of whom are handicapped, by the mayor on recommendation of the director of the office for the handicapped. The members of this board shall serve without compensation except for reasonable expenses incurred in the transportation to and from meetings of said board.
e. Livery advisory board. There shall be a livery advisory board to consist of not more than twenty members to be appointed for two-year terms by the chairman to advise the commission concerning matters relating to the livery industry, including the preparation of rules and regulations for the class of for-hire vehicles commonly known as "liveries," for the owners and drivers thereof, and for livery vehicle base operators.
f. There shall be a drivers' advisory board to advise the commission on matters of safety, conditions of work and the fair enforcement of laws and rules governing drivers licensed by the commission and to examine complaints about these matters solely to facilitate the board's ability to advise the commission. This board shall consist of fourteen members each of whom shall, at the time of appointment and thereafter, possess, for at least one year, a valid driver's license in good standing issued by the commission. The board shall be comprised of two taxicab lease drivers and two independent taxicab owner-operators, two for-hire vehicle fleet drivers and two independent for-hire vehicle operators, two black car drivers, two commuter van drivers and two paratransit drivers. Half] of the following groups:
(1) a taxicab medallion owner who is not required by law to drive his or her taxicab;
(2) a taxicab medallion owner who is required by law to drive his or her taxicab;
(3) an individual who acts as an agent for those who lease taxicab medallions to drivers who own or lease their own vehicles;
(4) an individual who represents an institution which lends money for the purpose of purchasing or financing taxicab medallions;
(5) a taxicab driver who does not own a taxicab medallion and leases a taxicab on a contract term that is on a daily or weekly basis;
(6) a taxicab driver who does not own a taxicab medallion but owns his or her own taxicab or leases a taxicab on a contract term that is other than on a daily or weekly basis;
(7) an advocate for the disability community;
(8) an advocate for taxicab passengers;
(9) an advocate for passengers of for-hire vehicles;
(10) a commuter van service driver or operator;
(11) an operator of a black car base;
(12) an operator of a luxury limousine base;
(13) a driver of a black car vehicle;
(14) a driver of a luxury limousine vehicle;
(15) a driver of a for-hire vehicle other than a luxury limousine or black car;
(16) an operator of a paratransit base;
(17) a driver of a wheelchair accessible taxicab or for-hire vehicle;
(18) a holder of a HAIL vehicle permit as applicable;
(19) an advocate for the environment;
(20) an operator of a base station that has a permit issued by the commission to dispatch one or more HAIL vehicles as applicable; and
(21) an operator of a base station that does not have a permit to dispatch any HAIL vehicles as applicable.
c. Except for the chairpersons of the transportation, finance and consumer affairs committees or such chairpersons' designees, eight of the members [within each category] of the advisory board set forth in subdivision b of this section shall be appointed by the speaker of the council and [half] thirteen shall be appointed by the mayor all for two-year terms, none of whom shall be an employee or staff member of the council or the commission. No members of such advisory board serving two-year terms shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms. The board shall meet no less often than every three months[, unless the board determines otherwise, but in no event shall the board meet less often than every six months] beginning after the complete board is initially appointed.
d. Not more than thirty days following any meeting of the advisory board held pursuant to this section, the commission shall provide to the council and to all board members a written summary of such meeting, including but not limited to any recommendations made by such advisory board.
e. Nothing contained in this section shall preclude any members of the commission from holding meetings with members of the board or other interested industry members that are not advisory board meetings.
§2. This local law shall take effect immediately.
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LS#1007
9/4/12