S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4992
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 10, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. RAMOS, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to
   enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for  reci-
   procity of driver licenses

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The commissioner of motor  vehicles  shall  enter  into  an
 agreement  with  the  Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Ministry of
 Transportation and Communications represented by the Director General of
 the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York for  reciprocity  in
 issuing  driver licenses to citizens from the state of New York residing
 in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to the Taiwanese citizens residing
 in the state of New  York.  The  parties  shall  agree  that  reciprocal
 provisions  for issuance and skills to acquire a driver license shall be
 applicable in New York and in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
   § 2. The parties shall agree that a holder of a valid  driver  license
 of  the  state  of  New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan),
 shall be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at
 the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge
 and road test. Correspondingly, a holder of  a  valid  Taiwanese  driver
 license  lawfully  residing  in the state of New York, who is not exempt
 from licensing requirements under the vehicle and traffic law, shall  be
 able to exchange a Taiwanese license for a standard license in the state
 of  New  York  at  the nominal conversion fee, without being required to
 pass the knowledge and road test.
   § 3. The state of New York, through the commissioner  of  motor  vehi-
 cles, and the Republic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Trans-
 portation and Communications, shall agree on the following:
   1.  Each  party  to  this  agreement  shall  provide samples of driver
 licenses (or copies thereof) issued at the time of  this  agreement  and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07899-01-1

 A. 4992                             2
 
 thereafter,  as  well as a definition of all classes of driver licenses,
 notations and restrictions;
   2.  This  agreement shall only apply to holders of unrestricted driver
 licenses aged 18 or older  and  shall  not  apply  to  applications  for
 enhanced  licenses,  real ID's or driver licenses for the operation of a
 commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle.
   3. For the decision on the issuance of  a  driver  license,  the  same
 standards, rules and regulations as for any resident of the state of New
 York and/or the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall apply.
   4.  Each  side  shall  agree  to verify whether the driver still has a
 valid driver license of the state in which  he  or  she  was  originally
 licensed.
   §  4.  The agreement shall be signed by both the commissioner of motor
 vehicles of the state of New York and the Director General of the Taipei
 Economic and Cultural office in New York and may be cancelled or revoked
 in writing by either party at any time and for  any  reason  with  three
 months  notice  provided  that notification shall be sent to the address
 provided by the parties in the agreement.
   § 5. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement  and
 present  such  agreement  to the Director General of the Taipei Economic
 and Cultural office in New York within ninety days of the date this  act
 shall have become a law.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.