New York Senate Bill S04530

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Report Pass: 5/28/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 3/17/26

Caption

Exempts military members based at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York and Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York on active duty who reside in NYC from the payment of E-ZPass tolls associated with the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Summary

S04530 amends the Public Authorities Law to create a toll exemption for certain active-duty U.S. military members based at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island who live in New York City. Eligible service members would be exempt from E-ZPass tolls on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge when using a New York customer service E-ZPass account for travel within the state, so long as the vehicle is not used for commercial purposes. The bill also extends the same exemption to spouses and dependent children who live in the same household as the eligible service member. The bill is narrowly tailored to a specific bridge, specific military installations, and residents of a city with a population of one million or more, which in practice means New York City. It also preserves the authority’s ability to require an application process and supporting information through the E-ZPass customer service center or successor entity. The measure takes effect 30 days after becoming law, with immediate authorization for any needed implementing rules or regulations.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would amend section 2855 of the Public Authorities Law to add a new toll exemption category for qualifying active-duty military personnel and their immediate family members. It would affect the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or other tolling authority responsible for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge by requiring it to waive tolls for eligible accounts and trips, while excluding commercial vehicles. The bill would also create an administrative process for verifying eligibility and processing exemptions through the E-ZPass system.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support in committee, with unanimous 9-0 votes reported on both listed dates in the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee. That suggests the bill was viewed favorably as a veterans and military-family benefit. No committee transcript is available, but the bill’s targeted relief for service members and their families indicates a generally positive reception.

Contention

The main policy limitation in the bill is its narrow scope: the exemption applies only to active-duty members based at Fort Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth, only if they reside in a city of one million or more, and only for non-commercial vehicles. That narrow targeting may limit broader objections, but it also means the benefit is not available to all military personnel or all bridge users. Any potential concern would likely center on lost toll revenue, administrative verification burdens, and whether the exemption should be expanded beyond this specific group and crossing.