Authorizes the issuance of "Blue Star Mother" and "Blue Star Family" distinctive license plates for parents and family members of active duty service members; establishes the "blue star mothers and families support fund".
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5869
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 20, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
the issuance of "Blue Star Mother" and "Blue Star Family" distinctive
license plates; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to
establishing the "blue star mothers and families support fund"
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 "Blue Star Mother" and "Blue Star Family"
4 license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state whose child,
5 spouse, parent, sibling, or grandchild is actively serving in the armed
6 forces of the United States shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive
7 license plate bearing the words "Blue Star Mother" or "Blue Star Fami-
8 ly", respectively. Application for said license plate shall be filed
9 with the form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
10 2. The distinctive plates authorized pursuant to this section shall be
11 issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant
12 is the parent of an active duty service member, or the spouse, child,
13 sibling, or grandparent of an active duty service member, in the same
14 manner as other number plates upon the payment of the regular registra-
15 tion fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article,
16 provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of twenty-
17 five dollars shall be charged for such plate.
18 3. Each twenty-five dollars received as the annual service charge
19 under this section shall be deposited to the credit of the "blue star
20 mothers and families support fund" established pursuant to section nine-
21 ty-five-l of the state finance law and shall be used for blue star moth-
22 ers and blue star families organizations as determined by the New York
23 state division of veterans' affairs' division of veterans' services
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06866-01-3
S. 5869 2
1 pursuant to subdivision three of section ninety-five-l of the state
2 finance law.
3 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-l to
4 read as follows:
5 § 95-l. "Blue star mothers and families support fund". 1. There is
6 hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation
7 and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the blue
8 star mothers and families support fund.
9 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to
10 section four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic law, and all
11 other moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any
12 other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this section
13 shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or bequests for
14 the purposes of the fund, as defined in this section, and depositing
15 them into the fund according to law.
16 3. Monies of the fund shall be expended only by the New York state
17 division of veterans' affairs' division of veterans' services. These
18 funds shall be used for programs and organizations that support parents
19 and family members of active duty members of the armed forces of the
20 United States.
21 § 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
22 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall
23 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
24 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of $6,000, which
25 shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the department of
26 financial services to transact business in this state. Provided, howev-
27 er, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior
28 to the plate design, production and issuance at least 200 orders for
29 such distinctive plate together with the additional annual service
30 charge applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no
31 such surety bond shall be required. All such service charges shall be
32 deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle
33 and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor vehicles
34 distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-l of the
35 state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, adver-
36 tising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with
37 such section 95-l.
38 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
39 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale, 200 or
40 more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant to this
41 section shall be discontinued. If fewer than 200 sets of such plates are
42 sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles shall be entitled to
43 recover against the bond an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
44 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
45 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
46 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
47 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
48 completed on or before such effective date.
