SB 759

This bill eliminates the authority of local governments to regulate and license

operators of taxicabs and taxicab businesses and instead requires that taxicab

companies and taxicab dispatch services be licensed by the state.

Under current law, a common council of a city or a village or town board may

regulate and license chauffeurs and operators of taxicabs used for hire; may regulate

and license a taxicab business by licensing each taxicab used for hire; and may

prohibit any person from operating any motor vehicle for taxicab purposes upon the

highways of the city, village, or town unless the person is licensed as a chauffeur and

operator and unless the taxicab business is licensed by the licensing of each taxicab.

Subject to certain exceptions, this bill prohibits a city, village, town, or county from

enacting or enforcing an ordinance or from adopting or enforcing a resolution that

regulates a taxicab company or taxicab dispatch service or its drivers in connection

with taxicab services.

The bill instead provides that no person may own or operate a taxicab company

or taxicab dispatch service unless the taxicab company or dispatch service is licensed

by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. The bill also prohibits any

individual from operating a motor vehicle as a taxicab unless the taxicab is affiliated

with a licensed taxicab company or dispatch service. The bill exempts from the

licensure requirements individuals who operate taxicabs as employees of or

independent contractors for taxicab companies, as well as individuals who are

independent owner-operators of taxicabs affiliated with licensed taxicab dispatch

services.

The bill requires DSPS to grant a license to an applicant for licensure as a

taxicab company or dispatch service if certain application requirements are

satisfied, including that the taxicab company or dispatch service pays an initial

licensure fee determined by DSPS using a sliding scale. A license entitles the license

holder to operate the taxicab company or dispatch service to provide trips to

passengers throughout the state, without geographic limitation.

The bill includes a number of requirements applicable to a licensed taxicab

company or dispatch service, including all of the following:

1. A taxicab dispatch service must disclose its fare calculation method and rates

on its Internet site. If a taxicab is not affiliated with a taxicab dispatch service, the

taxicab company must have the fare calculation method and rates for the taxicab

disclosed inside the taxicab.

2. A taxicab company or dispatch service must ensure that each taxicab is

equipped with a device that can calculate a passenger's fare in a location visible to

the passenger. A taxicab company or dispatch service may also, however, use a

digital network to calculate a passenger's fare and transmit that fare to the

passenger's mobile device.

3. In addition to other nondiscrimination and accessibility requirements, a