Authorizes distinctive license plates for women veterans; directs that excess service charges collected be used to support programs that support women veterans at the direction of the commissioner of veterans' services.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11178
IN ASSEMBLY
May 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
distinctive license plates for women veterans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
2 section 404-ff to read as follows:
3 § 404-ff. Distinctive plates for women veterans. 1. Any woman veteran
4 residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate
5 bearing the words "Woman Veteran". Application for said license plate
6 shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and detail as the
7 commissioner shall prescribe.
8 2. The distinctive plates authorized in subdivision one of this
9 section shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner,
10 that the applicant is a woman veteran.
11 3. The department of veterans' services, in consultation with women
12 veterans throughout New York state, shall have final approval of the
13 design of the distinctive plate authorized in subdivision one of this
14 section.
15 4. For the purposes of this section, the term "veteran" shall have the
16 same meaning as set forth in subdivision three of section one of the
17 veterans' services law.
18 5. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
19 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
20 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
21 provided, however, that an additional one time service charge of ten
22 dollars shall be charged for such plate.
23 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
24 the vehicle and traffic law shall only be designed, produced and issued
25 upon the delivery to the department of motor vehicles of a surety bond
26 in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall be executed by a
27 surety company authorized by the department of financial services to
28 transact business in this state. Provided, however, that if the commis-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15485-03-6
A. 11178 2
1 sioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior to plate design,
2 production and issuance at least two hundred orders for such distinctive
3 plate together with the additional annual service charge applicable to
4 each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no such surety bond
5 shall be required. Service charges collected pursuant to this section
6 shall first be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo of
7 the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor
8 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g
9 of the state finance law and shall be used for the design, production,
10 advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance
11 with such section 95-g, and any amounts in excess of the amount required
12 to be collected pursuant to section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic
13 law shall be used to support programs that support women veterans at the
14 direction of the commissioner of veterans' services.
15 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
16 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
17 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
18 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
19 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles
20 shall be entitled to recover against the bond in an amount proportionate
21 to such shortfall.
22 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
23 section one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
24 day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
25 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
26 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
27 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
