Authorizes the issuance of distinctive legion of valor license plates for individuals who have received the army medal of honor, navy medal of honor, air force medal of honor, army distinguished service cross, navy cross, coast guard cross, or air force cross.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5028
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 18, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, STEC, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Trans-
portation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to distinctive
plates for legion of valor recipients
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 legion of valor recipients. 1. Any
4 person who is a recipient of the army medal of honor, navy medal of
5 honor, air force medal of honor, army distinguished service cross, navy
6 cross, coast guard cross, or air force cross residing in this state
7 shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "legion
8 of valor" and depicting the individual's military award decal. Applica-
9 tion for said license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such
10 form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
11 2. The distinctive plate authorized herein shall be issued upon proof,
12 satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant is an army medal of
13 honor, navy medal of honor, air force medal of honor, army distinguished
14 service cross, navy cross, coast guard cross, or air force cross recipi-
15 ent.
16 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
17 in the same manner as other number plates, provided, however, that no
18 registration fee or service charge shall be charged for such plate.
19 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
20 the vehicle and traffic law as added by section one of this act shall
21 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
22 ment of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall
23 be executed by a surety company authorized by the department of finan-
24 cial services to transact business in this state. Provided, however,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01881-01-5
S. 5028 2
1 that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior to
2 plate design, production and issuance at least two hundred orders for
3 such distinctive plate together with the additional annual service
4 charge applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no
5 such surety bond shall be required. All such service charges shall be
6 deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle
7 and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor vehicles
8 distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g of the
9 state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, adver-
10 tising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with
11 such section 95-g.
12 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
13 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
14 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
15 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
16 such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled to
17 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
19 section one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
20 day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
21 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
22 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
23 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
