A 5891 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Establishes a tax on noise from non-essential helicopter and seaplane flights in cities with a population of one million or more

This bill imposes a tax on non-essential helicopter and seaplane flights in New York cities with populations of one million or more, affecting operators of such flights. Starting January 1, 2025, the tax is $50 per passenger or $200 per flight, whichever is greater. Exemptions cover flights for public safety (like emergency response), construction, news organizations, and flights using "quiet" electric aircraft that meet federal noise standards (10 decibels quieter than standard models). Operators must file quarterly tax returns and maintain detailed flight records.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 24, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

A5891 A5891A · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add three new sponsors and update its procedural status to indicate it has been discharged from committee and amended. The core text of the legislation regarding the noise tax on helicopters and seaplanes remains unchanged, though minor formatting adjustments were made to the document headers and page numbers.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the substantive policy regarding the tax on non-essential flights in cities with over one million residents is identical in both versions.
ENFORCEMENT

Added three new sponsors to the bill: Rosenthal, Seawright, and the original four sponsors remain.

Updated the procedural history to reflect that the bill was read once, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, discharged from the committee, amended, and recommitted.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted document formatting, including the bill number header and page numbering, to reflect the amended version.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Amendments
2
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
lower
Aug 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
PRINT NUMBER 5891A
lower
Aug 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO WAYS AND MEANS
lower
Feb 24, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
lower
1 primary · 6 co-sponsors

Sponsors