NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7779

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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

View Actions

Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 27, 2026	advanced to third reading
Apr 22, 2026	2nd report cal.
Apr 21, 2026	1st report cal.781
Jan 07, 2026	referred to transportation
Jun 13, 2025	committed to rules
May 22, 2025	advanced to third reading
May 21, 2025	2nd report cal.
May 20, 2025	1st report cal.1242
May 06, 2025	referred to transportation

Votes

- Apr 21, 2026 - Transportation Committee Vote
  S7779
  
  Aye
  
  13
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Transportation Committee Vote: Apr 21, 2026
      
      aye (13)
      
      Bynoe
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Hinchey
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      Mattera
      
      Oberacker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
  May 20, 2025 - Transportation Committee Vote
  S7779
  
  Aye
  
  13
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Transportation Committee Vote: May 20, 2025
      
      aye (13)
      
      Bynoe
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Hinchey
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      Mattera
      
      Oberacker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A951
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Add §404-ff, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6699, A7775
2023-2024: S5657, A1152

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers; defines "veteran" as a person who is a resident of this state, who served in the armed forces of the United States, and was honorably discharged from the armed forces, or has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7779

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating a
distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To create a distinctive license that would honor The Borinqueneers of
the 65th Infantry Regiment.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law by adding a new section
404-ff, which allows upon request for any veteran or the spouse of any
such veteran to be issued a distinctive Borinqueneers license plate. A
definition of "veteran" is included for the purposes of this section and
provides that the distinctive plate is issued in the same manner as
other number plates upon payment of a regular registration fee and an
additional one-time service charge of $25. Nothing in this section shall

require the commissioner to issue a Borinqueneers license plate unless
the aggregate amount of annual service charges are deemed sufficient to
cover costs associated with such plates' design and manufacture.

Section 2 provides that a distinctive Borinqueneers license plate shall
be produced upon a $6,000 surety bond delivered to the Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV), provided that the commissioner of the DMV has
received at least 200 orders for such plates prior to plate design and
issuance. The commissioner shall retain a non-refundable additional
annual service charge before the design and issuance of such plates. All
service charges shall be deposited to the credit of the DMV distinctive
plate development fund and used for the design and distribution of such
distinctive plates. If fewer than 200 plates are sold two years after
they are made available for sale, the bond shall be discontinued.

Section 3 provides for the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Borinqueneers (referring to "Borinquen," Puerto Rico's precolonial
name) of the 65th Infantry Regiment, composed largely of Puerto Rican
soldiers, provided valiant military efforts for the United States in
World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. For their sacrifices, the
regiment has been awarded 10 Distinguished Service Crosses (one was
upgraded to the Medal of Honor), 256 Silver Stars, 606 Bronze Stars, and
2,771 Purple Hearts.

Members of the Borinqueneer regiment endured years of unfair treatment
and discrimination while fighting for the United States, even after
gallant efforts had earned them numerous combat distinctions.

The regiment's illustrious legacy has begun to receive the commendation
it deserves. In 2014, President Barack Obama signed bills H.R. 1726 and
S. 1174 awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th U.S. Army
Infantry Regiment. In 2016, the regiment was awarded a Congressional
Gold Medal and it was unveiled in Congress' Emancipation Hall. Now,
April 13 is officially recognized as "National Borinqueneers Day,"
recognizing "the bravery, service, and sacrifice" of the 65th Infantry
Regiment.

This bill would effectively cement the legacy and history of The
Borinqueneers through a distinctive license plate that would not only
honor the sacrifices made by the members of the regiment but would also
serve as a commemorative display for their resiliency in the face of
prejudice and tribulation.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S5657/A1152

2021-2022: S6699/A7775

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7779
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- 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 creating a
   distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers
 
   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 VETERANS  HONORING  BORINQUE-
 NEERS.  1.  ANY  VETERAN  OR  THE SPOUSE OF ANY SUCH VETERAN SHALL, UPON
 REQUEST, BE ISSUED A  DISTINCTIVE  BORINQUENEERS  LICENSE  PLATE.  IF  A
 DISTINCTIVE  PLATE IS ISSUED TO A VETERAN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, SUCH
 DISTINCTIVE PLATE SHALL NOT BE ISSUED TO THE  SPOUSE  OF  SUCH  VETERAN.
 APPLICATION  FOR SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMMISSIONER
 IN SUCH FORM AND DETAIL AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE.
   2. THE DISTINCTIVE PLATE AUTHORIZED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION
 SHALL BE ISSUED UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMISSIONER,  THAT  THE
 APPLICANT OR THE SPOUSE OF THE APPLICANT IS A VETERAN.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "VETERAN" SHALL MEAN A PERSON WHO
 IS  A  RESIDENT  OF  THIS  STATE,  WHO SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE
 UNITED STATES, AND WAS (A) HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE  ARMED  FORCES,
 OR  (B)  HAS  A  QUALIFYING  CONDITION, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THE
 VETERANS' SERVICES LAW, AND HAS RECEIVED  A  DISCHARGE  OTHER  THAN  BAD
 CONDUCT  OR  DISHONORABLE FROM SUCH SERVICE, OR (C) IS A DISCHARGED LGBT
 VETERAN, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THE VETERANS'  SERVICES  LAW,  AND
 HAS  RECEIVED  A  DISCHARGE  OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE FROM
 SUCH SERVICE.
   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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00661-01-5
 S. 7779                             2

 
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT AN ADDITIONAL ONE TIME SERVICE CHARGE  OF  TWEN-
 TY-FIVE DOLLARS SHALL BE CHARGED FOR SUCH PLATES.
   5.  NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN SHALL REQUIRE THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL
 NUMBER PLATE UNDER THIS SECTION UNLESS  THE  COMMISSIONER  IS  SATISFIED
 THAT  THE  AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGES COLLECTED PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION WILL BE SUFFICIENT  TO  RECOVER  THE
 COSTS OF THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF SUCH SPECIAL PLATES.
   §  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 a surety bond in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall
 be executed by a surety company authorized by the department  of  finan-
 cial  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 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,  adver-
 tising 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 immediately; provided, however, that
 section one of this act shall take effect on the one  hundred  eightieth
 day  after  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
 tion, 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.

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Senate Bill S7779

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Actions

Votes

Apr 21, 2026 - Transportation Committee Vote

Transportation Committee Vote: Apr 21, 2026

May 20, 2025 - Transportation Committee Vote

Transportation Committee Vote: May 20, 2025

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Senate Bill S7779

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Sponsored By

Nathalia Fernandez

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Actions

Votes

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7779 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments