NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2261

Senate Bill S2261

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides that family members of paid professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty may obtain a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 16, 2025	referred to transportation

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2025-S2261 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Add §404-ff, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S499
2011-2012: S7056
2013-2014: S1960
2015-2016: S690
2017-2018: S226
2019-2020: S4976
2021-2022: S3873
2023-2024: S6486, S9508

2025-S2261 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that family members of paid professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty may obtain a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate; provides for the annual service charge collected to be deposited into the department of motor vehicles distinctive license plate development fund.

2025-S2261 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2261

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
the issuance of distinctive license plates for family members of paid
professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue "Survivor of the
Bravest" license plates to family members of a paid professional fire
fighter who died in the line of duty in celebration of the efforts and
sacrifices made by these firefighters to vigilantly serve their communi-
ties.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of this bill would add a new section, 404-ff, to the Vehicle
and Traffic Law.

Subdivision 1 of this new section establishes the definition of the term
"family members of a paid professional firefighter who died in the line
of duty".

Subdivision 2 of this new section provides the procedure through which a
family member of a paid professional firefighter who died in the line of
duty may obtain a Survivor of the Bravest license plate from the Depart-
ment of Motor Vehicles.

Subdivision 3 of this new section provides that a Survivor of the
Bravest license plate will be issued upon proof that the applicant is a
family member of a paid professional firefighter who died in the line
of-duty.

Subdivision 4 of this new section provides that a Survivor of the
Bravest license plate shall be issued in the same manner as other number
plates, except that there is an additional annual service charge of
twenty-five dollars for this license plate. This annual service charge
shall be deposited in the Department of Motor Vehicles' distinctive
plate development fund that has been established pursuant to State
Finance Law section 95-g.

Section two of this bill provides that the Survivor of the Bravest
license plate shall only be designed, produced and issued after the
Department receives a bond in the amount of $6,000. If after 2 years
from the date that the license plates became available for sale, 200 or
more sets of license plates have been sold, the bond may be discontin-
ued. If less than 200 license plates have been sold, the Department may
recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to the shortfall.

Section three of this bill provides that this act shall take effect on
the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law;
provided, however, that section two of this act shall take effect imme-
diately; provided further, however, that effective immediately, the
addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:

These "Survivor of the Bravest" license plates will recognize the many
contributions and valuable services performed by our State's paid
professional firefighters. The attacks of September Ilth took the lives
of many paid professional firefighters who were called upon to rescue
victims and protect New Yorkers. On a daily basis these real-life heroes
continue to battle against arson, make daring rescue attempts and face
incredible danger. It is only fitting that we recognize those who have
lost their lives in the line of duty protecting the citizens of our
state.

"Survivor of the Bravest" license plates would be a small token of our
appreciation-to the family members of these incredible public servants
and would recognize the selfless heroism and supreme sacrifices that
these professional firefighters have made.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S9508 of 2023-24: Referred to Transportation

2021-22: S.3873/A.6777

2020: A.1276 - Referred to Transportation / S.4976 Referred to.  Trans-
portation

2019: A.1276 - Referred to Transportation / S.4976 Passed Senate

2018: A8200 - Transportation / S.226 - Passed Senate

2017: A.8200 - Referred to Transportation/ S.226-A - Passed Senate

2016: A.4456 - Referred to Transportation/S.690 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2013: A.562 - Referred to Transportation/S.1960 - Passed Senate

2012: A.350 Referred to Transportation/S.7056 - Referred to Transporta-
tion

2010: A.2539 - Referred to Transportation/S.499 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2009: A.2539 - Referred to Transportation/S.499 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2008: A.7036 - Referred to Transportation/S.4046 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2007: A.7036 - Referred to Transportation/S.4046 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act
shall take effect immediately; provided further, however, that effective
immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regu-
lation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective
date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before
such effective date.

2025-S2261 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2261
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- 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  authorizing
   the  issuance of distinctive license plates for family members of paid
   professional firefighters who died 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  LICENSE  PLATES  FOR  FAMILY  MEMBERS  OF  PAID
 PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS WHO DIED IN THE LINE-OF-DUTY.  1. FOR PURPOSES
 OF  THIS SECTION, "FAMILY MEMBERS OF A PAID PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER WHO
 DIED IN THE LINE-OF-DUTY" SHALL MEAN A SPOUSE, REGISTERED DOMESTIC PART-
 NER, PARENT, SIBLING OR CHILD OF A  PAID  PROFESSIONAL  FIREFIGHTER  WHO
 DIED  IN  THE  COURSE  OF EMPLOYMENT OR PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES AS A FIRE-
 FIGHTER.
   2. ANY FAMILY MEMBER OF A PAID PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER  WHO  DIED  IN
 THE  LINE-OF-DUTY  AND WHO RESIDES IN THIS STATE SHALL, UPON REQUEST, BE
 ISSUED A DISTINCTIVE LICENSE PLATE BEARING THE WORDS  "SURVIVOR  OF  THE
 BRAVEST" OF A DESIGN APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER.  APPLICATION FOR SUCH
 LICENSE  PLATE  SHALL  BE  FILED  WITH THE COMMISSIONER IN SUCH FORM AND
 DETAIL AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE AND SHALL BE VERIFIED ANNUAL-
 LY BY THE APPLICANT.
   3. A DISTINCTIVE PLATE AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL  BE  ISSUED UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMISSIONER,
 THAT THE APPLICANT IS A FAMILY MEMBER OF A PAID PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER
 WHO DIED IN THE LINE-OF-DUTY.
   4. A DISTINCTIVE PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ISSUED
 IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER PLATES UPON PAYMENT  OF  THE  REGULAR
 REGISTRATION FEE PRESCRIBED BY SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE OF THIS ARTICLE,
 PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE OF TWENTY-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03548-01-5

 S. 2261                             2
 
 FIVE DOLLARS SHALL BE CHARGED FOR  SUCH  PLATE.    SUCH  ANNUAL  SERVICE
 CHARGE  SHALL  BE  DEPOSITED  PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED FOUR-OO OF THIS ARTICLE TO THE CREDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR
 VEHICLES DISTINCTIVE PLATE DEVELOPMENT FUND ESTABLISHED BY SECTION NINE-
 TY-FIVE-G OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW AND SHALL BE USED FOR THE PRODUCTION,
 DESIGN, ADVERTISING AND MARKETING OF DISTINCTIVE LICENSE PLATES PURSUANT
 TO SUCH SECTION NINETY-FIVE-G.
   § 2. 1.  A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
 the  vehicle  and  traffic law as added by section one of this act shall
 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to  the  depart-
 ment  of  motor  vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand
 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized  by  the
 department  of  financial  services  to transact business in this state.
 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have
 received prior to plate design, production and  issuance  at  least  two
 hundred  orders  for such distinctive plate together with the additional
 annual service charge applicable to each  such  order,  which  shall  be
 non-refundable,  no  such  surety  bond  shall  be required. All service
 charges collected pursuant to this section shall be  deposited  pursuant
 to  the  provisions  of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to
 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate  devel-
 opment  fund  established  by  section 95-g of the state finance law and
 shall be used for the design, production, advertising  and  distribution
 of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g.
   2.  If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
 distinctive plates in the  series  are  first  available  for  sale  two
 hundred  or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
 such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled  to
 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this
 act shall take  effect  immediately;  provided  further,  however,  that
 effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
 or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
 tive  date  are  authorized  to  be made and completed on or before such
 effective date.

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Senate Bill S2261

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Sponsored By

Jeremy Cooney