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Read. Follow. Verify.New York bill increases penalties for leaving the scene of an accident involving electric scooters and e-bikes
Last action · January 7, 2026: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATIONSponsors: Rebecca Seawright and 4 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New York stiffens criminal penalties for riders of electric scooters and e-bikes who leave the scene of an accident without reporting. Leaving the scene involving an electric scooter in the second degree is raised from a violation to a , and in the first degree from a class B misdemeanor to a . Similar increased penalties are established for electric-assist bicycles.
Operators of electric scooters and e-bikes face significantly harsher criminal charges, including potential felony convictions and imprisonment terms, for failing to report traffic accidents they are involved in.
- New York State previously established specific regulations and penalty structures for electric scooters in 2020 under part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Electric scooter operators
Electric scooter riders face harsher criminal charges and potential felony records for failing to report traffic accidents.
Electric-assist bicycle operators
E-bike riders are subject to new explicit misdemeanor and felony penalties for leaving the scene of an accident.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to the penalty for leaving an electric scooter accident in the second degree?
How are e-bikes treated under this measure?
When does this law go into effect if enacted?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 7, 2026HouseCommitteeREFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Jan 9, 2025HouseCommitteeREFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Alignment of E-Scooter and E-Bike Penalties
The legislation extends existing micro-mobility penalty frameworks established in 2020 for electric scooters to also cover electric-assist bicycles.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.nysenate.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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