Senate Bill S8692

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8692
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 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  suspension
   of a license for failure to pay a fine for impaired driving violations
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The subdivision heading and paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision
 4-a of section 510 of the vehicle and traffic law, the subdivision head-
 ing  as  amended by chapter 76 of the laws of 2021, and paragraph (a) as
 amended by chapter 713 of the laws of  2021,  are  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   Suspension for failure to answer an appearance ticket OR PAY A CERTAIN
 FINE.  (a)  Upon  receipt  of  a  court notification of the failure of a
 person to appear within sixty days of the return date or new  subsequent
 adjourned  date,  pursuant  to an appearance ticket charging said person
 with a violation of any of the provisions of this  chapter  (except  one
 for parking, stopping, or standing) OR FOR FAILURE TO PAY A FINE IMPOSED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER FOR A
 VIOLATION OF SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER,  of  any
 violation of the tax law or of the transportation law regulating traffic
 or  of  any  lawful  ordinance  or  regulation made by a local or public
 authority, relating to traffic (except one  for  parking,  stopping,  or
 standing) the commissioner or [his or her] THE agent OF SUCH COMMISSION-
 ER may suspend the driver's license or privileges of such person pending
 receipt  of  notice  from  the  court  that  such person has appeared in
 response to such appearance ticket or has paid or has  entered  into  an
 installment  payment  plan  to pay the fine associated with a conviction
 entered as a result of the failure to appear in response to such appear-
 ance ticket OR IMPOSED PURSUANT TO SECTION ELEVEN  HUNDRED  NINETY-THREE
 OF  THIS CHAPTER FOR A VIOLATION OF SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF
 THIS CHAPTER, or the defendant has been acquitted of the charge that led
 to the suspension or such charge was otherwise dismissed.  Such  suspen-
 sion  shall take effect no less than thirty days from the day upon which
 an initial notice thereof is sent by  the  commissioner  to  the  person
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13350-02-5
 S. 8692                             2
 
 whose  driver's license or privileges are to be suspended, provided that
 the commissioner shall send such person at least  two  notices  thereof,
 including  such  initial notice, at least fifteen days apart during such
 period.  Any  suspension  issued  pursuant  to  this  paragraph shall be
 subject to the provisions of  paragraph  (j-l)  of  subdivision  two  of
 section five hundred three of this [chapter] TITLE.
   § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 1802 of the vehicle and
 traffic  law, as added by chapter 382 of the laws of 2020, is amended to
 read as follows:
   (b) The court or hearing officer shall  have  the  discretion  in  the
 interests  of  justice to reduce or waive the amount of any fine, fee or
 mandatory surcharge assessed for a violation of any of the provisions of
 this chapter or any local law, ordinance, order, rule or regulation made
 by local authorities in relation  to  traffic,  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THE
 PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL  NOT APPLY TO FINES AND MANDATORY
 SURCHARGES IMPOSED FOR VIOLATIONS OF SECTION ELEVEN  HUNDRED  NINETY-TWO
 OF THIS CHAPTER.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.