Amd §604, add §607, V & T L; add §399-vv, Gen Bus L
Requires the cost or estimated cost of repairs for any motor vehicle damaged in such accident, or if a motor vehicle involved in such accident incurred no damage then a notation of such fact to be included in accident reports and for such information to be disclosed in reports made by motor vehicle condition reporting agencies.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10486
SPONSOR: Stern TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the general business
law, in relation to required accident damage reporting
PURPOSE:
This legislation would require that all accident information is included
on reports issued by motor vehicle condition reporting agencies.
SUMMARY:
Section 1: Amends section 604 of the vehicle and traffic law.
Section 2: Amends section 604 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended
by chapter 196 of the laws of 2024.
Section 3: Amends the vehicle and traffic law by adding a new section
607.
Section 4: Amends the general business law by adding a new section 399-
vv
Section 5: Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
When an individual obtains a report from a motor vehicle condition
reporting agency, not all information pertaining to the vehicle's acci-
dent history is included in that report. Any motorist who is purchasing
a used vehicle should know as much about the history of that vehicle as
possible prior to consummating the purchase, This bill will require that
information to be provided to a motor vehicle condition reporting agency
so that the final cost, or cost estimates, of repairs for any damages
incurred by a vehicle that has been in an accident may be included in
the agency's report. Alternatively, if no damage was incurred by the
vehicle as result of an accident, that too will be reported.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S6677 - referred to transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after.it shall have
become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act shall take
effect on the same date and in the same manner as chapter 196 of the
laws of 2024, takes effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for implementa-
tion of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10486
IN ASSEMBLY
March 6, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STERN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the general business
law, in relation to required accident damage reporting
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 604 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended to
2 read as follows:
3 § 604. Reports; contents; preparation; distribution; filing. Reports
4 of accidents required under the preceding section, or under the rules
5 and regulations of the commissioner, shall be upon forms prepared by
6 [him] such commissioner and contain such information as [he] such
7 commissioner shall prescribe; provided, however, such information shall
8 at a minimum include the cost or estimated cost of repairs for any motor
9 vehicle damaged in such accident, or if a motor vehicle involved in such
10 accident incurred no damage then a notation of such fact. Blank forms
11 for such reports shall be printed by the commissioner and a supply sent
12 to all city, town and village clerks and to the chief officer of every
13 city police department for general distribution and use as herein
14 provided. Reports of accidents, required under the preceding section,
15 shall be sent to and filed with the commissioner at the main office of
16 the bureau of motor vehicles in the city of Albany, except as otherwise
17 provided by the rules and regulations of the commissioner.
18 § 2. Section 604 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter
19 196 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
20 § 604. Reports; contents; preparation; distribution; filing. Reports
21 of accidents required under sections six hundred three and six hundred
22 three-a of this article, or under the rules and regulations of the
23 commissioner, shall be upon forms prepared by the commissioner and
24 contain such information as the commissioner shall prescribe; provided,
25 however, that the commissioner shall provide space on such forms to
26 indicate the type or types of vehicles involved, including passenger
27 motor vehicles, commercial motor vehicles, motorcycles, limited use
28 motorcycles, off-highway motorcycles, electric scooters, bicycles with
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06433-01-5
A. 10486 2
1 electric assist, and/or bicycles; provided further, however, such infor-
2 mation shall additionally include the cost or estimated cost of repairs
3 for any motor vehicle damaged in such accident, or if a motor vehicle
4 involved in such accident incurred no damage then a notation of such
5 fact. Blank forms for such reports shall be printed by the commissioner
6 and a supply sent to all city, town and village clerks and to the chief
7 officer of every city police department for general distribution and use
8 as herein provided. Reports of accidents, required under the preceding
9 section, shall be sent to and filed with the commissioner at the main
10 office of the bureau of motor vehicles in the city of Albany, except as
11 otherwise provided by the rules and regulations of the commissioner.
12 § 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
13 607 to read as follows:
14 § 607. Disclosure to motor vehicle condition reporting agencies. 1.
15 The commissioner shall make any information regarding damage and the
16 cost or estimated cost of repairs of such damage or lack of damage
17 incurred by motor vehicles reported pursuant to the provisions of this
18 article available to motor vehicle condition reporting agencies.
19 2. As used in this section, the term "motor vehicle condition report-
20 ing agency" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in
21 section three hundred ninety-nine-vv of the general business law.
22 § 4. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 399-
23 vv to read as follows:
24 § 399-vv. Motor vehicle condition reporting agencies. 1. As used in
25 this section, the term "motor vehicle condition reporting agency" means
26 any person who, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit
27 basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembl-
28 ing or evaluating motor vehicle maintenance and condition information
29 for the purpose of furnishing reports on the maintenance and condition
30 of a motor vehicle to third parties.
31 2. Every report by a motor vehicle condition reporting agency which
32 includes information regarding an accident a motor vehicle has been
33 involved in shall include the cost or estimated cost of repairs for any
34 damage incurred by such vehicle as a result of such accident, or if no
35 damage was incurred by the motor vehicle as a result of such accident a
36 notation of such fact.
37 § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
38 have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act shall
39 take effect on the same date and in the same manner as chapter 196 of
40 the laws of 2024, takes effect. Effective immediately, the addition,
41 amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
42 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be
43 made and completed on or before such effective date.
