S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6557
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
   applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to complete a  vision
   test
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the  vehi-
 cle  and  traffic  law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (a) A license issued pursuant to  subdivision  five  of  this  section
 shall  be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless such
 license is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be  renewed
 by  submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by law,
 proofs of prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision  prescribed  by
 the  commissioner,  the  applicant's  social security number or, in lieu
 thereof, with respect to an application for  a  non-commercial  driver's
 license  or  learner's  permit which does not meet federal standards for
 identification, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not
 been issued a social security number, and if required by the commission-
 er, a photo image of the applicant in  such  numbers  and  form  as  the
 commissioner  shall  prescribe.  SUCH  PROOF  OF ACCEPTABLE VISION SHALL
 REQUIRE THE APPLICANT TO PASS A VISION TEST ADMINISTERED BY THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER  OR  HIS  OR HER AGENT, OR TO SUBMIT A CERTIFICATION, SIGNED BY A
 PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, NURSE PRACTITIONER, OPTOMETRIST OR OPTI-
 CIAN, ATTESTING THAT THE APPLICANT HAS  ADEQUATE  VISION  TO  OPERATE  A
 MOTOR  VEHICLE AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER. In addition, an appli-
 cant for renewal of a license containing a hazardous  material  endorse-
 ment  shall  pass an examination to retain such endorsement. The commis-
 sioner shall, with respect to  the  renewal  of  a  hazardous  materials
 endorsement,  comply  with  the  requirements  imposed  upon  states  by
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD05902-01-1

 A. 6557                             2
 
 sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the code  of  federal  regu-
 lations.  A  renewal of such license shall be issued by the commissioner
 upon approval of such application, except that no such license shall  be
 issued  if  its  issuance  would  be inconsistent with the provisions of
 section five hundred sixteen of this title, and except that the  commis-
 sioner  may  refuse to renew such license if the applicant is the holder
 of a currently valid or renewable license to  drive  issued  by  another
 state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such license.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.