Senate Bill S4912

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4912
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to
   enter into an agreement with the Dominican Republic for reciprocity 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 Dominican Republic through the National Institute  of
 Transit and Land Transportation (Instituto Nacional de Transito y Trans-
 porte  Terrestre)  (INTRANT) represented by the Consulate General of the
 Dominican Republic  in  New  York  for  reciprocity  in  issuing  driver
 licenses  to citizens from the state of New York residing in the Domini-
 can Republic and to the Dominican 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 Dominican Republic.
   §  2.  The parties shall agree that a holder of a valid driver license
 of the state of New York residing in the Dominican  Republic,  shall  be
 able to exchange such license for a Dominican Republic driver license at
 the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge
 and  road  test. Correspondingly, a holder of a valid Dominican Republic
 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 Dominican Republic 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  Dominican  Republic,  through the National Institute of
 Transit and Land Transportation (Instituto Nacional de Transito y Trans-
 porte Terrestre) (INTRANT), shall agree on the following:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09332-01-3
              

 S. 4912                             2
 
   1. Each party to  this  agreement  shall  provide  samples  of  driver
 licenses  (or  copies  thereof) issued at the time of this agreement and
 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 Dominican Republic 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  Consulate  General  of  the
 Dominican  Republic 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 Consulate General of the Dominican Repub-
 lic within ninety days of the date this act shall have become a law.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.