Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced that the infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress includes new provisions supporting new laws passed in New York that increase safety in the limousine industry. The bill has been sent to President Biden to sign into law.

“Last month, our community came together on the third anniversary of the horrific 2018 Schoharie limousine crash to remember the 20 innocent lives lost that day,” Santabarbara said. “Following the tragedy, I worked to pass new laws here in New York that strengthened regulations and improved safety standards within the transportation industry. With this new infrastructure bill, I’m happy to see the federal government step up to enact similar standards. It’s well past time that all Americans were afforded these protections to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress on Friday, will implement new regulations on the limousine industry and close dangerous safety loopholes. The bill supports New York State laws Santabarbara helped pass including provisions to get unsafe vehicles off the road and mandate regular inspections as well as conduct research on safety systems and evacuation procedures in emergency situations.

Following the 2018 crash in Schoharie, Santabarbara worked to overhaul the limousine industry in New York State with a package of 10 new laws last year, five of which he authored, to increase safety for passengers and motorists. These laws include measures to increase safety regulations and penalties for traffic infractions committed by stretch limousine drivers and impose stricter oversight of the industry. Since then, Santabarbara has written a number of letters to Congress calling for passage of federal reforms modeled after the laws crafted in New York State, including a letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer.

The letter may be read here.