S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8461--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             December 29, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. GALLAHAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee  on  Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transporta-
   tion  in  accordance  with  Assembly  Rule  3,  sec.  2  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating a
   series of distinctive license plates for law enforcement officers  who
   were wounded in the line of duty
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 404-ff to read as follows:
   §  404-FF. DISTINCTIVE PLATES FOR NEW YORK STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI-
 CERS WHO WERE INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.    1.  ANY  OFFICER  WHO  WAS
 WOUNDED  IN  THE  LINE  OF DUTY OR THE SPOUSE OF ANY SUCH OFFICER SHALL,
 UPON REQUEST, BE ISSUED A LICENSE PLATE CONTAINING THE SEAL  OF  ONE  OF
 THE  FOLLOWING  FIVE  POLICE  ASSOCIATIONS: (A) NEW YORK STATE SHERIFF'S
 ASSOCIATION; (B) NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF  CHIEFS  OF  POLICE;  (C)
 POLICE  BENEVOLENT  ASSOCIATION  OF THE NEW YORK STATE TROOPERS; (D) THE
 NEW YORK STATE POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION; AND (E) THE NEW YORK  CITY
 POLICE  BENEVOLENT  ASSOCIATION.  ANY  PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT
 SHALL BEAR THE WORDS "WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY". FOR THE PURPOSES  OF
 THIS SECTION:
   I. "WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY" SHALL BE DEFINED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICER  WHO  HAS SUSTAINED PERSONAL INJURY, IN THE INTELLIGENT PERFORM-
 ANCE OF DUTY, INFLICTED BY AN ASSAILANT  WITH  A  DANGEROUS  AND  DEADLY
 WEAPON.
   II.  ELIGIBILITY  SHALL BE VERIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT WHO EMPLOYED THE
 OFFICER AT THE TIME OF INJURY AND SHALL BE REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13807-02-3
 A. 8461--A                          2
 
              

   III. IF A DISTINCTIVE PLATE IS ISSUED TO  A  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICER
 PURSUANT  TO  THIS SECTION, SUCH A DISTINCTIVE PLATE SHALL NOT BE ISSUED
 TO THE SPOUSE OF SUCH OFFICER.
   IV.  THE  APPLICATION  FOR  SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE
 COMMISSIONER IN SUCH FORM AND DETAIL AS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   2. THE DISTINCTIVE PLATE AUTHORIZED  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL  BE  ISSUED UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMISSIONER,
 THAT THE APPLICANT OR THE SPOUSE OF THE APPLICANT IS A  LAW  ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICER WHO WAS WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
   3.    (A) A DISTINCTIVE PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 ISSUED IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER PLATES UNDER THIS ARTICLE UPON
 THE PAYMENT OF THE REQUIRED REGISTRATION FEE PRESCRIBED BY SECTION  FOUR
 HUNDRED ONE OF THIS ARTICLE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT AN ADDITIONAL ANNU-
 AL  SERVICE  CHARGE  OF  TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS  SHALL BE CHARGED FOR SUCH
 PLATES.  SUCH ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE SHALL BE DEPOSITED PURSUANT  TO  THE
 PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-OO OF THIS ARTICLE, TO THE CRED-
 IT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF MOTOR VEHICLES DISTINCTIVE PLATE DEVELOPMENT
 FUND ESTABLISHED BY SECTION NINETY-FIVE-G OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   (B) MONEYS FROM SUCH DEPOSIT SHALL BE USED FOR THE PRODUCTION, DESIGN,
 ADVERTISING, AND MARKETING OF DISTINCTIVE  LICENSE  PLATES  PURSUANT  TO
 SECTION  NINETY-FIVE-G OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
 ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGES COLLECTED IN EXCESS OF SIX  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  BE
 DEPOSITED  TO  THE  "WOUNDED OFFICERS SUPPORT FUND" OR "THE FUND" ESTAB-
 LISHED BY SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-ZZZZ OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   (C) MONEYS FROM THE FUND WILL BE DIRECTED FOR PURPOSES  DEEMED  APPRO-
 PRIATE BY THE FIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATIONS AS LONG AS THE FUNDS ARE
 USED  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  ASSISTING WOUNDED OR FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section  97-zzzz
 to read as follows:
   §  97-ZZZZ.  WOUNDED OFFICERS SUPPORT FUND.  1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB-
 LISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND  FINANCE
 AND  THE  COMPTROLLER,  A  SPECIAL  FUND  KNOWN AS THE "WOUNDED OFFICERS
 SUPPORT FUND" OR "THE FUND".
   2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES RECEIVED  PURSUANT  TO  THE
 PROVISIONS  OF  SECTION  FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-FF OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC
 LAW AND OTHER MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM
 ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.
   3. NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION  SHALL  PREVENT  THE  STATE  FROM
 RECEIVING  GRANTS,  GIFTS,  OR  BEQUESTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS
 DEFINED IN THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO THE FUND  ACCORDING  TO
 THE LAW.
   4.  MONEYS  OF  THE  FUND  SHALL  BE  EXPENDED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF
 SUPPORTING WOUNDED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS  WELL
 AS THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THIS INCLUDES BUT IS
 NOT  LIMITED TO PROVIDING: MEDICAL TREATMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING,
 HOME ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, SERVICE ANIMALS, TRANSPORTATION  NEEDS,
 AND FUNERAL SERVICES.
   5.  MONEYS  OF  THE FUND SHALL BE USED SOLELY FOR THE WOUNDED OFFICERS
 SUPPORT FUND AND MAY NOT BE DIVERTED INTO ANY GENERAL FUND.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.