S 5661 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relates to the operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles

This bill requires drivers to create a center rescue lane when an authorized emergency vehicle (like an ambulance or fire truck) approaches with lights and sirens. Drivers must immediately move to the right edge of the road (or left edge on one-way roads with three+ lanes) to clear a center path, especially in gridlock or multi-lane traffic. It specifies that drivers in the leftmost lane move left, rightmost lane drivers move right, and center lanes move toward the edge to form a clear center lane. The law applies to all drivers except when emergency vehicles are police or bicycle units, and it does not reduce an emergency driver's duty to operate safely.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 26, 2025 Last action May 5, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
4
May 5, 2026
Committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CITIES 1
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
upper
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Peter Oberacker
Peter Oberacker
RRepublican/Conservative
NY
51