Creates a distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers; defines "veteran" as a person who is a resident of this state, who served in the armed forces of the United States, and was honorably discharged from the armed forces, or has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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951
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RIVERA, CONRAD, BENEDETTO, ANGELINO, TAGUE, MIKU-
LIN, REYES, DINOWITZ, SIMON, JACKSON, RAMOS, McMAHON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating a
distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers
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 license plates for veterans honoring Borinque-
4 neers. 1. Any veteran or the spouse of any such veteran shall, upon
5 request, be issued a distinctive Borinqueneers license plate. If a
6 distinctive plate is issued to a veteran pursuant to this section, such
7 distinctive plate shall not be issued to the spouse of such veteran.
8 Application for such license plate shall be filed with the commissioner
9 in such form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
10 2. The distinctive plate authorized in subdivision one of this section
11 shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the
12 applicant or the spouse of the applicant is a veteran.
13 3. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a person who
14 is a resident of this state, who served in the armed forces of the
15 United States, and was (a) honorably discharged from the armed forces,
16 or (b) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the
17 veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad
18 conduct or dishonorable from such service, or (c) is a discharged LGBT
19 veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and
20 has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
21 such service.
22 4. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
23 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00661-01-5
A. 951 2
1 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article
2 provided, however, that an additional one time service charge of twen-
3 ty-five dollars shall be charged for such plates.
4 5. Nothing contained herein shall require the issuance of a special
5 number plate under this section unless the commissioner is satisfied
6 that the aggregate amount of annual service charges collected pursuant
7 to subdivision four of this section will be sufficient to recover the
8 costs of the design and manufacture of such special plates.
9 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
10 the vehicle and traffic law as added by section one of this act shall
11 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
12 ment of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall
13 be executed by a surety company authorized by the department of finan-
14 cial services to transact business in this state. Provided, however,
15 that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior to
16 plate design, production and issuance at least two hundred orders for
17 such distinctive plate together with the additional annual service
18 charge applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no
19 such surety bond shall be required. All such service charges shall be
20 deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle
21 and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor vehicles
22 distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g of the
23 state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, adver-
24 tising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with
25 such section 95-g.
26 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
27 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
28 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
29 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
30 such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled to
31 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
32 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
33 section one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
34 day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
35 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
36 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
37 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
