NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A5062
SPONSOR: Barclay (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the quantity
of disabled person plates issued to a person with disabilities
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue one
set of person with disabilities plates for each vehicle owned by a
person with disabilities.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 and 2 of the bill amends subdivision 1 of section 404-a of the
Vehicle and Traffic Law to require the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to
prescribe two number plates per vehicle owned by persons with disabili-
ties.
Section 3 of the bill would make it effective on the sixtieth day after
it shall have become law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
As written, the Vehicle and Traffic Law only allows a registrant with a
disability to receive one set of person with disabilities license plates
from the Department of Motor Vehicles unless that individual also has
another person with disabilities in his or her household. This can be
an inconvenience if the person with disabilities owns more than one
vehicle.
The only other option available is to obtain a hanging handicapped park-
ing permit from their local municipality. Although these permits are
transferable and can be used in a vehicle the disabled person is driv-
ing, or riding in, it is more logical that the Department of Motor Vehi-
cles be required to issue a set of person with disabilities license
plates for each vehicle owned by that person.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A6460 of 2021-22 Referred to Transportation
A6177 of 2019-20 Held for consideration in Transportation
A3220 of 2017-18 Held for consideration in Transportation
A4482 of 2015-16 Held for consideration in Transportation
A4451 of 2013-14 Held for consideration in Transportation
A6295 of 2011-12 Held for consideration in Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Minimal
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall become
law. The addition, amendment and or repeal of any rules or regulations
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is
authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before the effec-
tive date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5062
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 2, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARCLAY, BLANKENBUSH, HAWLEY, NORRIS, MANKTELOW,
MORINELLO, REILLY, BYRNES, LEMONDES, DeSTEFANO, J. M. GIGLIO, BRABENEC
-- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. K. BROWN, PALMESANO -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the quantity
of disabled person plates issued to a person with disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 404-a of the vehicle and traffic
2 law, as amended by chapter 596 of the laws of 1982, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 1. Legislative intent. It is the sense of the legislature to facili-
5 tate the usual and special uses of the highways and other motor vehicle
6 facilities accorded to [severely disabled] residents with severe disa-
7 bilities of this state. The commissioner is hereby empowered to issue to
8 such persons, upon their application, special motor vehicle registra-
9 tions, [one set of] vehicle identification plates for each motor [vehi-
10 cles] vehicle owned by such persons to be used for the transportation of
11 such [severely disabled] person [and one set of vehicle identification
12 plates for each motor vehicle owned by such persons and used by a
13 severely disabled member of the owner's family] with severe
14 disabilities.
15 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 404-a of the vehicle and traffic law, as
16 amended by chapter 191 of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as
17 follows:
18 2. Registration of vehicles owned by [severely disabled] persons with
19 severe disabilities. The commissioner shall assign to [such] each motor
20 [vehicles] vehicle, including any van or pick-up truck used for trans-
21 porting persons with disabilities which is not used for commercial
22 purposes, owned and used by such persons, a distinctive number and issue
23 and deliver in such manner as the commissioner may select to the owner a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04909-01-3
A. 5062 2
1 certification of registration, in such form as the commissioner shall
2 prescribe and two number plates per vehicle owned by such persons,
3 called [disabled] person with disabilities plates. Said [disabled]
4 person with disabilities plates shall conform to the requirements of
5 section four hundred one of this chapter, but shall bear distinctive
6 marks to distinguish them from number plates to be issued to other
7 persons, qualifying under this chapter. [The commissioner, in his
8 discretion, may issue, for any registration year, only one plate as a
9 set for a motor vehicle, in which event a set of disabled person plates
10 for a motor vehicle shall consist of one plate. Where a severely disa-
11 bled person owns more than one vehicle and such vehicle or vehicles is
12 or are used by severely disabled members of the owner's family who
13 reside with the owner, the commissioner shall issue one set of plates
14 for each additional vehicle used by such severely disabled person,
15 provided that such user qualifies as a severely disabled person in the
16 manner required by this section.]
17 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
18 have become a law provided, however, that effective immediately, the
19 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary
20 for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized
21 and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.