STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2951
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT in relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to
enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reci-
procity of driver licenses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall enter into an
2 agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Ministry of
3 Transportation and Communications represented by the Director General of
4 the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York for reciprocity in
5 issuing driver licenses to citizens from the state of New York residing
6 in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to the Taiwanese citizens residing
7 in the state of New York. The parties shall agree that reciprocal
8 provisions for issuance and skills to acquire a driver license shall be
9 applicable in New York and in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
10 § 2. The parties shall agree that a holder of a valid driver license
11 of the state of New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan),
12 shall be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at
13 the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge
14 and road test. Correspondingly, a holder of a valid Taiwanese driver
15 license lawfully residing in the state of New York, who is not exempt
16 from licensing requirements under the vehicle and traffic law, shall be
17 able to exchange a Taiwanese license for a license in the state of New
18 York at the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the
19 knowledge and road test.
20 § 3. The state of New York, through the commissioner of motor vehi-
21 cles, and the Republic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Trans-
22 portation and Communications, shall agree on the following:
23 1. Each party to this agreement shall provide samples of driver
24 licenses (or copies thereof) issued at the time of this agreement and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07620-01-9
S. 2951 2
1 thereafter, as well as a definition of all classes of driver licenses,
2 notations and restrictions;
3 2. This agreement shall only apply to holders of unrestricted driver
4 licenses aged 18 or older and shall not apply to applications for driver
5 licenses for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle.
6 3. For the decision on the issuance of a driver license, the same
7 standards, rules and regulations as for any resident of the state of New
8 York and/or the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall apply.
9 4. Each side shall agree to verify whether the driver still has a
10 valid driver license of the state in which he or she was originally
11 licensed.
12 § 4. The agreement shall be signed by both the commissioner of motor
13 vehicles of the state of New York and the Director General of the Taipei
14 Economic and Cultural office in New York and may be cancelled or revoked
15 in writing by either party at any time and for any reason with three
16 months notice provided that notification shall be sent to the address
17 provided by the parties in the agreement.
18 § 5. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement and
19 present such agreement to the Director General of the Taipei Economic
20 and Cultural office in New York within ninety days of the date this act
21 shall have become a law.
22 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.