Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. recently announced that Nassau County now has the authority to regulate taxicabs and limousines after the signing of his legislation. The new law places the power of registering these companies in the hands of one body and that will give Nassau County residents a simple way to check the legitimacy of their car and driver.

Prior to this new law, only villages, towns and cities have had the authority to regulate taxi and limousine companies and that has led to consumer confusion. This new ability given to the county will not inhibit these other entities from continuing to license these carriers but will give riders an additional safeguard against dangerous, unlicensed operators.

According to Fuschillo, this new law will create a uniform county registration which will give these consumers the ability to identify their driver and company in the event of an emergency or a problem.

The Nassau Taxi Owners Association estimates that there are at least half as many unlicensed companies operating as there are licensed companies countywide. These companies often lack insurance and are operated by unlicensed drivers who may not have safe driving records. Additionally, these companies are able to charge far lower fares due to lower overhead since they do not pay taxes and that puts the law abiding companies at a disadvantage.

"There are too many unregistered, uninsured carriers on our roadways today and this will give passengers one easy way to identify if their driver and car are up to standard," said Fuschillo. "It is vital that riders know which carrier is safe and which carrier isn't; it is also important that those companies who follow the regulations are given proper credit."

"This law will enhance the safety of the riding public by helping to ensure that only legitimate, licensed companies transport consumers to their desired destinations," said Roger Bogsted, Nassau County's Commissioner of Consumer Affairs.

The law went into effect Sept. 1.

Senator Fuschillo proclaimed a great victory in the battle against drug and alcohol abuse in New York State with the signing of his bill to establish a "Keep Kids Off Drugs" license plate program. The distinctively designed specialty plates will be offered beginning early next year.

The new plates will raise $25 annually from every driver who participates in the program and $50 from drivers who choose the personalized version. All of the proceeds from the new plates will be directed to New York State's Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the OASAS will use the money to fund their programs which educate children on drug prevention and treatment.

"If we can get the necessary money to teach our children to stay away from drugs and alcohol today, we will have a better future for our entire state," stated Fuschillo. "These programs are an integral part in the protection of our children from the dangers of abuse and the funding raised with this legislation will allow us to do more to make sure they remain safe from these pitfalls."

A report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse concluded that the use of alcohol and drugs in early and mid-adolescence interferes with physical, emotional and intellectual development, and increases the chances of accidents, illness, death or future serious drug addiction. By the time students graduate from high school, 70 percent will have smoked cigarettes, 81 percent will have drunk alcohol, nearly 50 percent will have used marijuana and 24 percent will have used other illicit drugs.

The money raised by the license plate program would supplement the budget of OASAS and enable the agency to offer more programs to the state's school age population.