Bill > A00553

This bill establishes a two-year optional pilot program in Westchester County allowing local police departments to use electronic scanning devices to determine if a vehicle operator was using a mobile phone or portable electronic device near the time of an accident involving property damage, personal injury, or death. Under this program, drivers involved in such accidents would be required to submit their mobile devices to police for scanning, but only within a 60-minute window before the incident. The scanning is strictly limited to log records activated by typing or swiping, and explicitly prohibited from accessing or storing user data, message contents, or personal information. The electronic scanning devices must be approved jointly by the transportation and criminal justice commissioners, and can only be used to check if the device was being used in violation of existing mobile device traffic laws. At the conclusion of the two-year pilot, the commissioner will submit a report to the legislature and governor analyzing the program's impact on traffic accidents, including details about the number of phones tested and the cost and accuracy of the field testing. Importantly, participation in the pilot program is optional for Westchester County police departments, and the entire program will automatically expire after two years.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A553