New York Senate Bill S01948

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/25
• Refer: 1/14/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Directs the New York thruway authority to develop and implement a toll discount program waiving additional costs for tolls related to travel on the New York state thruway for certain individuals who do not maintain an E-Z Pass account.

Summary

S01948, titled the “Thruway Toll Equality Act,” would require the New York State Thruway Authority to create a toll discount program for certain New York residents who use the Thruway but do not have an E-ZPass account or transponder. The bill is aimed at eliminating extra costs beyond the actual toll amount for qualifying residents who receive toll bills by mail, so that they pay no more than the amount charged to E-ZPass users in good standing. To qualify, a person must be a full-time New York resident and receive SNAP, WIC, or Section 8 housing assistance, own or rent a vehicle used on the Thruway, and lack an E-ZPass account or transponder. The bill also limits when the Authority may send toll bills: it could not issue a bill until unpaid tolls reach $30 or one year has passed, whichever comes first. If the bill remains unpaid for 120 days, the Authority could then assess fees and charges as it determines.

Impact

The bill would amend the Public Authorities Law by adding a new section 378-b governing E-ZPass-related toll discounts on the New York State Thruway. It would restrict the Thruway Authority’s ability to add fees, penalties, and surcharges to mailed toll bills for eligible low-income residents, and it would impose billing thresholds and timing rules for those accounts. The measure would affect the Thruway Authority’s toll collection practices, mailed invoice procedures, and treatment of residents who use the system without E-ZPass, while excluding travel that begins or ends outside New York.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the limited available context, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer-relief and fairness proposal for low-income motorists who are more likely to receive higher billed toll amounts because they do not maintain E-ZPass. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history provided, so no formal legislative sentiment can be measured from proceedings. The bill’s sponsor lineup suggests support from its introducers, but the broader legislative reaction is not documented in the materials provided.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the bill’s narrow eligibility criteria, which limit relief to full-time New York residents receiving SNAP, WIC, or Section 8 assistance and who lack E-ZPass. Supporters would likely view the bill as reducing disproportionate toll penalties and billing burdens on low-income drivers, while critics could argue it creates a special discount category, complicates toll administration, or narrows relief too much by excluding other non-E-ZPass users. The bill also leaves the Authority discretion to assess fees after 120 days of nonpayment, which may be another area of concern for affected motorists.