S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1904
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, MILLER, BUTTENSCHON, DeSTEFANO, SAYEGH,
HYNDMAN, EPSTEIN, STECK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. RIVERA --
read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to affixing the
designation "qualified hybrid vehicle" and the estimated miles per
gallon of such vehicle as calculated by the United States environ-
mental protection agency onto all car registration forms
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 125-b to read as follows:
§ 125-B. QUALIFIED HYBRID VEHICLE. A QUALIFIED HYBRID VEHICLE IS A
MOTOR VEHICLE AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE OF THIS
ARTICLE, OTHER THAN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THAT DRAWS PROPULSION ENERGY
FROM BOTH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE (OR HEAT ENGINE THAT USES
COMBUSTIVE FUEL) AND AN ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE, AND EMPLOYS A REGENERA-
TIVE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT RECOVERS WASTE ENERGY TO CHARGE SUCH
ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE.
§ 2. Subparagraphs (e) and (f) of paragraph b of subdivision 1 of
section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 222 of
the laws of 1996, are amended to read as follows:
(e) provided, that, if such motor vehicle is an altered livery, the
applicant shall so furnish a certified copy of the length of the center
panel of such vehicle, provided, however, that the commissioner shall
require such proof, as [he] SUCH COMMISSIONER may determine is neces-
sary, in the application for registration and provided further, if the
center panel of such vehicle exceeds one hundred inches, the commission-
er shall require proof that such vehicle is in compliance with all
applicable federal and state motor vehicle safety standards; [and] (f)
PROVIDED, THAT, IF SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE IS A "QUALIFIED HYBRID VEHICLE" AS
DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE-B OF THIS CHAPTER, THE APPLI-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05500-01-5
A. 1904 2
CANT SHALL FURNISH PROOF TO THE COMMISSIONER, IN THE APPLICATION FOR
REGISTRATION, OR OTHERWISE, OF THE MAKE, MODEL AND MODEL YEAR OF SUCH
APPLICANT'S MOTOR VEHICLE. IF SUCH PROOF HAS BEEN SUBMITTED, SUCH APPLI-
CANT'S CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION SHALL CONTAIN A DISTINGUISHING MARK
WHICH SHALL DESIGNATE SUCH APPLICANT'S MOTOR VEHICLE AS A "QUALIFIED
HYBRID VEHICLE," AND SHALL ALSO DISPLAY SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE'S UNITED
STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HIGHWAY FUEL ECONOMY RATING OF
FORTY-FIVE MILES PER GALLON OR MORE. THE COMMISSIONER IS HEREBY AUTHOR-
IZED TO PROMULGATE ANY RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMEN-
TATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH; AND (G) such additional
facts or evidence as the commissioner may require in connection with the
application for registration.
§ 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 401 of the vehicle and
traffic law, as amended by section 1 of part H of chapter 59 of the laws
of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
a. Upon filing of such application and the payment of the fee herein-
after provided, the commissioner shall assign to such motor vehicle a
distinctive number and, without expense to the applicant, issue and
deliver in such manner as the commissioner may select to the owner a
certificate of registration, in such form as the commissioner shall
prescribe[,]. SUCH CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION SHALL CONTAIN A DISTIN-
GUISHING MARK WHICH SHALL DESIGNATE SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE AS A "QUALIFIED
HYBRID VEHICLE" AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE-B OF THIS
CHAPTER, PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (F) OF PARAGRAPH B OF SUBDIVISION ONE
OF THIS SECTION, AND SHALL CONTAIN ADEQUATE SPACE UPON WHICH SUCH MOTOR
VEHICLE'S UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HIGHWAY FUEL
ECONOMY RATING OF FORTY-FIVE MILES PER GALLON OR MORE SHALL BE
DISPLAYED. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ALSO ISSUE and DELIVER two number
plates at a place within the state of New York named by the applicant in
[his or her] THE APPLICANT'S application. A number plate, within the
meaning of this chapter, may, in the discretion of the commissioner, be
a plate of a permanent nature, treated with reflectorized material
according to specifications prescribed by the commissioner, and with a
date tag attached to such plate or to the vehicle as prescribed by regu-
lations of the commissioner indicating the validity of the plate during
a certain period and the issuance of such a number plate with such date
tag to a person possessing such a number plate shall be deemed the issu-
ance of a number plate. An additional fee, not to exceed twenty-five
dollars, shall be paid to the commissioner whenever a set of reflector-
ized number plates is issued for any vehicle for which a registration
fee is normally charged except that, with respect to any number plate
which is specifically requested by the applicant, such fee shall be paid
to the commissioner upon approval of such request. In the event of the
loss, mutilation or destruction of any certificate of registration, any
number plate or set of number plates whether with or without a date tag
or tags, or any date tag or set of date tags provided for in this arti-
cle, the owner of a registered motor vehicle may file such statement and
proof of the facts as the commissioner shall require, with a fee of
three dollars, in the office of the commissioner, or, unless and until
the commissioner shall otherwise direct, in the office of the agent who
issued the certificate, plate, plates, tag or tags and the commissioner
or [his or her] THE COMMISSIONER'S agent, as the case may be, shall
issue a duplicate or substitute. It shall be the duty of every owner
holding a certificate of registration to notify the commissioner in
writing of any change of residence of such person within ten days after
A. 1904 3
such change occurs, and to inscribe on such certificate, in the place
provided by the commissioner, a record of such change of residence.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.