S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3717
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 30, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to special
designation for veterans on driver's licenses
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a-1) of subdivision 1 of section 504 of the
vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 490 of the laws of 2019,
is amended to read as follows:
(a-1) Every license or renewal thereof issued to an applicant who was
a member of the armed forces of the United States and who (i) received
an honorable discharge or was released therefrom under honorable condi-
tions, or (ii) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section three
hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge other
than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or (iii) is a
discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section three hundred fifty of
the executive law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct
or dishonorable from such service, OR (IV) WAS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD OR MILITARY RESERVES WHO SERVED AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS, shall, upon
his or her request and submission of proof as set forth herein, contain
a distinguishing mark, in such form as the commissioner shall determine,
indicating that he or she is a veteran. Such proof shall consist of a
certificate of release or discharge from active duty including but not
limited to a DD Form 214, OR IN THE CASE OF A NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER AN
NGB22 FORM INDICATING TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE, OR IN THE CASE OF A MILI-
TARY RESERVIST A DD FORM 256 AND A NOTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR
RETIRED PAY LETTER, or other proof satisfactory to the commissioner. The
commissioner shall not require fees for the issuance of such licenses or
renewals thereof to persons requesting a veteran distinguishing mark
which are different from fees otherwise required; provided, however,
that notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07706-01-1
S. 3717 2
shall not require fees for a duplication or amendment of a license prior
to its renewal if such duplication or amendment was solely for the
purpose of adding a veteran distinguishing mark to such license.
§ 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 490 of the vehicle and
traffic law, as amended by chapter 490 of the laws of 2019, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The identification card shall contain a distinguishing number or
mark and adequate space upon which an anatomical gift, pursuant to arti-
cle forty-three of the public health law, by the holder may be recorded
and shall contain such other information and shall be issued in such
form as the commissioner shall determine; provided, however, every iden-
tification card or renewal thereof issued to a person under the age of
twenty-one years shall have prominently imprinted thereon the statement
"UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE" in notably distinctive print or format.
Provided, further, however, that every identification card issued to an
applicant who was a member of the armed forces of the United States and
(i) received an honorable discharge or was released therefrom under
honorable conditions, or (ii) has a qualifying condition, as defined in
section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a
discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or
(iii) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section three hundred
fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge other than bad
conduct or dishonorable from such service, (IV) OR WAS A MEMBER OF THE
NATIONAL GUARD OR MILITARY RESERVES WHO SERVED AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS
shall, upon his or her request and submission of proof as set forth
herein, contain a distinguishing mark, in such form as the commissioner
shall determine, indicating that he or she is a veteran. Such proof
shall consist of a certificate of release or discharge from active duty
including but not limited to a DD Form 214, OR IN THE CASE OF A NATIONAL
GUARD MEMBER AN NGB22 FORM INDICATING TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE, OR IN THE
CASE OF A MILITARY RESERVIST A DD FORM 256 AND A NOTIFICATION OF ELIGI-
BILITY FOR RETIRED PAY LETTER, or other proof satisfactory to the
commissioner. The commissioner shall not require fees for the issuance
of such identification cards or renewals thereof to persons under twen-
ty-one years of age which are different from the fees required for the
issuance of identification cards or renewals thereof to persons twenty-
one years of age or over, nor fees to persons requesting a veteran
distinguishing mark which are different from fees that would otherwise
be required. Provided, however, that notwithstanding the provisions of
section four hundred ninety-one of this article, the commissioner shall
not require any fees for the duplication or amendment of an identifica-
tion card prior to its renewal if such duplication or amendment was
solely for the purpose of adding a veteran distinguishing mark to such
identification card.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.