Relates to dedicating a portion of the state highway system to Specialist Jason Johnston.
Summary
S05446 amends the New York Highway Law to dedicate a specified portion of State Route 31-A in Orleans County, between Powerline Road and Route 98, to "Specialist Jason Johnston." The bill is a commemorative or honorary designation measure, intended to recognize an individual by naming a stretch of highway in his honor.
The bill also directs the Commissioner of Transportation to install and maintain appropriate signage for the dedication. It expressly states that the designation is ceremonial only and does not change the official name of the highway, in order to avoid confusion and limit any disruption to commerce. The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
This bill adds a new section to the Highway Law establishing a ceremonial highway dedication in Orleans County. Its practical legal effect is limited: it does not alter route numbering, ownership, maintenance responsibilities, or the official legal name of the roadway, but it does authorize state transportation signage and creates a permanent statutory memorialization of Specialist Jason Johnston. The affected parties are primarily the Department of Transportation, which must post and maintain signs, and local travelers and residents who will see the honorary designation.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support for the bill. It passed the Senate 57-1 and the Assembly 137-0, with unanimous support in the Senate Rules Committee. Because the measure is commemorative rather than regulatory, the recorded votes indicate little opposition overall and a generally favorable sentiment toward honoring Specialist Jason Johnston.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only notable issue reflected in the bill text is the explicit statement that the dedication is ceremonial and does not change the highway’s official name, which appears designed to address concerns about confusion or disruption to commerce. The near-unanimous votes suggest that any disagreement was minimal and not centered on policy impacts, but rather on the appropriateness of the honorary dedication itself.
Dedicates a portion of the state highway system in the county of Wyoming, constituting state route 98 from School Street in the town of Sheldon at the southern end to the southern line of the village of Attica, to Specialist Thomas Edwin Beglinger.
Dedicates a portion of the state highway system in the county of Wyoming, constituting state route 98 from School Street in the town of Sheldon at the southern end to the southern line of the village of Attica, to Specialist Thomas Edwin Beglinger.