Enacts the "Bryant Ortiz act"; establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death when such person operates a motor vehicle upon a public highway without a valid license or in violation of the conditions of a learner's permit or any other limited driving privilege, including conditional and restricted use licenses, and in the course of such unlawful operation commits a traffic infraction or engages in negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and such operation results in the death of another person; makes it a class E felony.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10511
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- 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
the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle
resulting in death
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "Bryant Ortiz act".
3 § 2. The section heading of section 511 of the vehicle and traffic
4 law, as added by chapter 756 of the laws of 1985, is amended and a new
5 subdivision 3-a is added to read as follows:
6 Operation while license or privilege is suspended or revoked; aggra-
7 vated unlicensed operation; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor
8 vehicle resulting in death.
9 3-a. Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in
10 death. (a) A person is guilty of the offense of aggravated unlicensed
11 operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death when such person oper-
12 ates a motor vehicle upon a public highway without a valid license or in
13 violation of the conditions of a learner's permit or any other limited
14 driving privilege, including conditional and restricted use licenses,
15 and in the course of such unlawful operation commits a traffic infrac-
16 tion or engages in negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and such
17 operation results in the death of another person.
18 (b) Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in
19 death is a class E felony. When a person is convicted of this crime, the
20 sentence of the court must be: (i) a fine in an amount not less than
21 five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars; and (ii) a
22 term of imprisonment as provided in the penal law for a class E felony.
23 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
24 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15754-02-6
