NY State Senate Bill 2025-S3539

Senate Bill S3539

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Waives the registration fee and service charge for distinctive plates for certain volunteer firefighters and certain members of volunteer ambulance services

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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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 28, 2025	referred to transportation

co-Sponsors

2025-S3539 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5673
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§404-b & 404-f, V & T L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7658, A9803

2025-S3539 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Waives the registration fee and service charge for distinctive plates for volunteer firefighters and members of volunteer ambulance services where the applicant has attended twenty-five percent or more of the emergency calls for the previous year.

2025-S3539 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S3539

SPONSOR: BORRELLO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to waiving the
registration fee and service charge for distinctive plates for certain
volunteer firefighters and certain members of volunteer ambulance
services

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill waives the registration fees for distinctive license plates
for active volunteer firemen and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 waives the registration fees for distinctive license plates
for active volunteer emergency medical technicians who participate in at
least 25% or more of the emergency calls for the previous year.

Section 2 waives the registration fees for distinctive license plates

for active volunteer firemen who participate in at least 25% or more of
the emergency calls for the previous year.

Section 3 provides that the act shall take effective immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Volunteer firemen and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the back-
bone of emergency services throughout rural New York State, and provide
incredibly valuable volunteer services to their communities on a 24/7
basis. These volunteers undergo many hours of training in order to
provide this life-saving volunteer service. Unfortunately, it is
increasingly difficult to recruit and retain these volunteers.

In an effort to recruit and retain more volunteer firemen and EMTs, many
local governments offer a property tax reduction to active volunteer
firemen and EMTs. While this incentive is helpful for those who own
their own home, it does nothing to help younger volunteers who might not
own their own home.

This legislation would provide a tangible benefit to active volunteers
who own or lease their own vehicle by allowing them to register a vehi-
cle with distinctive license plates without paying the typical registra-
tion fee. In addition to providing a modest financial benefit, the
increase in the number of distinctive license plates will enhance
recruitment and retention efforts by increasing awareness of these
volunteers and providing them with well-deserved recognition.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023: S7658/A9803 Referred to Rules

2024: S7658/A9803 Referred to Transportation

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The legislation would take effective immediately upon adoption.

2025-S3539 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3539
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 28, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BORRELLO -- 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 waiving  the
   registration fee and service charge for distinctive plates for certain
   volunteer  firefighters  and  certain  members  of volunteer ambulance
   services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision 3 of section 404-b of the vehicle and traffic
 law, as amended by chapter 277 of the laws of 1991, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
 in the same manner as other number plates [upon payment of the regular].
 THE  registration  fee  prescribed  by  section four hundred one of this
 [chapter] ARTICLE and [an]  THE  initial  one  time  service  charge  of
 fifteen  dollars  SHALL  BE  WAIVED  FOR ONE SET OF PLATES FOR EACH SUCH
 APPLICANT UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMISSIONER, THAT THE  APPLI-
 CANT HAS ATTENDED TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OR MORE OF THE EMERGENCY CALLS FOR
 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 404-f of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 amended  by  chapter  277  of  the  laws  of 1991, is amended to read as
 follows:
   3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
 in the same manner as other number plates [upon payment of the regular].
 THE registration fee prescribed by section  four  hundred  one  of  this
 [chapter]  ARTICLE  and  [an]  THE  additional  annual service charge of
 fifteen dollars SHALL BE WAIVED FOR ONE SET  OF  PLATES  FOR  EACH  SUCH
 APPLICANT  UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMISSIONER, THAT THE APPLI-
 CANT HAS ATTENDED TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OR MORE OF THE EMERGENCY CALLS FOR
 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08017-01-5

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Senate Bill S3539

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Sponsored By

George M. Borrello