New York Assembly Bill A04819

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Provides for the reimbursement of the ticket price of unused one-way, round trip or multi-trip tickets purchased for use on the Long Island Rail Road or the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company if returned within one year.

Summary

This bill would amend the Public Authorities Law to require the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company to treat certain non-monthly, non-unlimited tickets as valid for one year from the date of purchase and to fully reimburse the purchase price of any unused one-way, round trip, or multi-trip ticket returned within that year. The reimbursement would apply to tickets bought for use on either railroad, and the bill expressly bars the rail authorities from charging any surcharge or processing fee for the return of those unused tickets. The bill also adds a separate fare-collection rule for passengers who board with insufficient fare: any additional train fare purchased after boarding would have to be rounded up to the nearest quarter of a dollar. The measure would take effect 30 days after becoming law.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would create a new statutory refund right for riders of the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North for unused one-way, round trip, and multi-trip tickets, overriding any contrary authority policies or practices. It would impose a mandatory one-year redemption period and eliminate fees or surcharges on ticket returns, directly affecting the fare and refund procedures of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail subsidiaries. It would also standardize post-boarding fare adjustments by requiring rounding to the nearest $0.25, affecting how conductors or ticketing systems calculate additional fares owed on board.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available, so there is no documented debate or formal legislative sentiment to assess from the provided materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears rider-friendly and consumer-protective, aiming to make ticket purchases less risky and refund rules more favorable to passengers.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the fiscal and administrative impact on the railroads and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, since mandatory full refunds for unused tickets and the prohibition on processing fees could reduce revenue and increase refund handling burdens. Another possible issue is operational complexity, including how the railroads would verify unused tickets, manage one-year validity periods, and implement the quarter-dollar rounding rule for fares purchased after boarding. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided record.