Increases penalties for endangerment of a highway worker, promote work zone safety awareness, and establish a fund for additional work zone safety enforcement

Latest action Jan 7, 2026

Increases penalties for endangerment of a highway worker; promotes work zone safety awareness; establishes a fund for additional work zone safety enforcement.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

Committee

Transportation · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Transportation · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

This bill creates a penalty for endangerment of a highway worker, sets a fine structure, and directs sixty percent of fines collected to a work zone safety fund. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:,: Section One adds a new section 1221-a to the Vehicle and Traffic Law to create the crime of endangerment of a highway worker. Section two adds a new section 1221-b to the Vehicle and Traffic Law to create a public education and outreach program to increase motorist awareness about the importance of highway work zone safety. Section three amends section 161 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to define a work area or work zone. Section four adds a new section 118-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to define a highway worker. Section five amends section 22 of the transportation law to clarify that a representative of public employees must be involved in developing rules and regulations regarding work zone safety and enforcement. Section six creates the work zone safety fund. Section seven enacts the effective date.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Transportation
Senate TransportationMay 13, 2025Result: passed
(13) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Christopher Ryan, James Skoufis and 5 more on Agora

Republican4
Democratic3

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

Every day, highway workers face multiple threats from drivers, many of which drive around a work area, fails to obey traffic control, and endangers the well-being of highway workers. Further steps need to be taken to punish these drivers, while deterring other motorists to the dangers they present while in work zones. By creating a new mandatory fine structure for violators of the law, people who endanger highway workers will be held accountable, while directing funds into a new program to help prevent further accidents. These funds will be used to provide work area safety enforcement, work area markings, radar speed display signs, and police monitoring, so that drivers approaching work zones will properly slow down and yield to highway workers.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
NY Senate
May 13, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
NY Senate
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 29, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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