Senate Bill S899

                                BILL NUMBER:S899

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to providing for a discount on driver's license renewal fees
for senior citizens

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The legislation will provide for a 10% discount to senior citizens at
least 65 years of age for driver's license renewal fees.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends the paragraph (C) of subdivision 2 of
section 503 of the vehicle and traffic law by adding a new
subparagraph (v) to provide a 10% discount for driver's license
renewal fees to senior citizens at least 65 years of age.

Section 2 provides for this act to take effect on the ninetieth day
after it shall become a law.

JUSTIFICATION:

Over the last decade and especially since the financial collapse in
late 2008, the large majority of Senior Citizens in the state have
incurred an ever-increasing financial burden as a result of increased
              

property taxes, overwhelming healthcare and medication costs, in
addition to escalating costs for heating and transportation. Yet most
of these senior citizens are on extremely limited fixed-incomes and
are in no position to absorb these increases. Furthermore, given the
state of the economy and performance of the stock market since 2008,
many of these same Senior Citizens have lost hundreds of thousands of
dollars they had saved for their retirement and are forced with the
prospect of losing their homes in order to survive.

Although the costs of Driver's License Renewals have grown at a
reasonable rate, it would be a welcome benefit to Senior Citizens to
be provided with a discount on these renewal costs. While this may not
save each individual Senior Citizen large sums of money, it will be a
gesture of support and respect to provide this discount and thereby
lessen the financial burden - if only a little.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2011-12: S.5864

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become
a law.