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.