Senate Bill S4213

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4213
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER,  BAILEY, COMRIE, COONEY, HELMING, ORTT --
   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 establishing
   distinctive  "Women  Veterans"  license plates; and to amend the state
   finance law, in relation to establishing the "women  veterans  support
   fund"
 
   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 "WOMEN VETERANS" LICENSE PLATES. 1. ANY PERSON
 RESIDING IN THIS STATE SHALL, UPON  REQUEST,  BE  ISSUED  A  DISTINCTIVE
 "WOMEN VETERANS" LICENSE PLATE OF A DESIGN APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
 APPLICATION  FOR  SAID  LICENSE  PLATE  SHALL BE FILED WITH THE FORM AND
 DETAIL AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE.
   2. A DISTINCTIVE PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ISSUED
 IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER PLATES UPON THE PAYMENT OF THE  REGU-
 LAR  REGISTRATION  FEE  PRESCRIBED  BY  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE OF THIS
 ARTICLE, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE  OF
 TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS  SHALL  BE  CHARGED FOR SUCH PLATE. SUCH ADDITIONAL
 SERVICE CHARGE SHALL BE DEPOSITED PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-
 OO OF THIS ARTICLE TO THE CREDIT OF THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MOTOR  VEHICLES
 DISTINCTIVE PLATE DEVELOPMENT FUND, ESTABLISHED BY SECTION NINETY-FIVE-G
 OF  THE STATE FINANCE LAW, AND SHALL BE USED FOR THE PRODUCTION, DESIGN,
 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING OF DISTINCTIVE NUMBER PLATES; PROVIDED, HOWEV-
 ER, THAT ADDITIONAL ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGES COLLECTED IN  EXCESS  OF  SIX
 THOUSAND  DOLLARS SHALL BE DEPOSITED TO THE CREDIT OF THE WOMEN VETERANS
 SUPPORT FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-FIVE-L OF THE  STATE
 FINANCE LAW.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07831-01-5
 S. 4213                             2
              

 
   §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-l to
 read as follows:
   § 95-L. WOMEN VETERANS SUPPORT FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN
 THE  JOINT  CUSTODY  OF THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE AND THE
 COMPTROLLER, A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE "WOMEN  VETERANS  SUPPORT
 FUND".
   2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION
 FOUR  HUNDRED  FOUR-FF  OF  THE  VEHICLE  AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND ALL OTHER
 MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND
 OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.
   3. MONEYS OF THE FUND SHALL BE EXPENDED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISION
 OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS' WOMEN VETERANS' SERVICES.  THESE  FUNDS  SHALL  BE
 USED FOR WOMEN VETERANS HOMELESSNESS, COUNSELING AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT
 SUPPORT WOMEN VETERANS.
   §  3. 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 the 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 such service
 charges 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 development 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, the department of motor vehicles
 shall be entitled to recover against the bond an amount proportionate to
 such shortfall.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law; provided, however,  that  section  three  of
 this  act  shall  take  effect immediately.   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
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.