STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6631
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
July 12, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. JACOBS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to repealing
the driver's license access and privacy act; to repeal certain
provisions of such law relating thereto; and to repeal section 7 of
chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, amending the vehicle and traffic law
relating to the issuance of non-commercial drivers' licenses and lear-
ners' permits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of section 201 of the
2 vehicle and traffic law are REPEALED.
3 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
4 amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
5 follows:
6 1. Application for license. Application for a driver's license shall
7 be made to the commissioner. The fee prescribed by law may be submitted
8 with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi-
9 ty, age, and fitness as may be required by the commissioner. [With
10 respect to a non-commercial driver's license or learner's permit which
11 does not meet federal standards for identification, in addition to the
12 acceptable proofs of age and identity approved by the commissioner as of
13 January first, two thousand nineteen, acceptable proof of identity shall
14 also include, but not be limited to, a valid, unexpired foreign passport
15 issued by the applicant's country of citizenship (which shall also be
16 eligible as proof of age), a valid, unexpired consular identification
17 document issued by a consulate from the applicant's country of citizen-
18 ship, or a valid foreign driver's license that includes a photo image of
19 the applicant and which is unexpired or expired for less than twenty-
20 four months of its date of expiration, as primary forms of such proof.
21 Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be deemed to preclude the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13487-01-9
S. 6631 2
1 commissioner from approving additional proofs of identity and age.] The
2 commissioner may also provide that the application procedure shall
3 include the taking of a photo image or images of the applicant in
4 accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In
5 addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide
6 his or her social security number [or, in lieu thereof, with respect to
7 an application for a non-commercial driver's license or learner's permit
8 which does not meet federal standards for identification, an affidavit
9 signed by such applicant that they have not been issued a social securi-
10 ty number. The commissioner also] and shall provide space on the appli-
11 cation so that the applicant may register in the New York state organ
12 and tissue donor registry under section forty-three hundred ten of the
13 public health law with the following stated on the application in clear
14 and conspicuous type:
15 "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to be added
16 to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for 'yes' or 'skip this ques-
17 tion'."
18 The commissioner of health shall not maintain records of any person
19 who checks "skip this question". Except where the application is made in
20 person or electronically, failure to check a box shall not impair the
21 validity of an application, and failure to check "yes" or checking "skip
22 this question" shall not be construed to imply a wish not to donate. In
23 the case of an applicant under eighteen years of age, checking "yes"
24 shall not constitute consent to make an anatomical gift or registration
25 in the donate life registry, except as otherwise provided pursuant to
26 the provisions of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section forty-
27 three hundred one of the public health law. Where an applicant has
28 previously consented to make an anatomical gift or registered in the
29 donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or failing to check
30 a box shall not impair that consent or registration. In addition, an
31 applicant for a commercial driver's license who will operate a commer-
32 cial motor vehicle in interstate commerce shall certify that such appli-
33 cant meets the requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle, as
34 set forth in public law 99-570, title XII, and title 49 of the code of
35 federal regulations, and all regulations promulgated by the United
36 States secretary of transportation under the hazardous materials trans-
37 portation act. In addition, an applicant for a commercial driver's
38 license shall submit a medical certificate at such intervals as required
39 by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part
40 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations relating to
41 medical certification and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.
42 For purposes of this section and sections five hundred three, five
43 hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this title, the terms "medical
44 certificate" and "medical certification" shall mean a form substantially
45 in compliance with the form set forth in Part 391.43(h) of title 49 of
46 the code of federal regulations. Upon a determination that the holder of
47 a commercial driver's license has made any false statement, with respect
48 to the application for such license, the commissioner shall revoke such
49 license.
50 § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehicle and
51 traffic law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
52 read as follows:
53 (a) A license issued pursuant to subdivision five of this section
54 shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless such
55 license is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed
56 by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by law,
S. 6631 3
1 proofs of prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by
2 the commissioner, the applicant's social security number [or, in lieu
3 thereof, with respect to an application for a non-commercial driver's
4 license or learner's permit which does not meet federal standards for
5 identification, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not
6 been issued a social security number], and if required by the commis-
7 sioner, a photo image of the applicant in such numbers and form as the
8 commissioner shall prescribe. In addition, an applicant for renewal of a
9 license containing a hazardous material endorsement shall pass an exam-
10 ination to retain such endorsement. The commissioner shall, with respect
11 to the renewal of a hazardous materials endorsement, comply with the
12 requirements imposed upon states by sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of
13 title 49 of the code of federal regulations. A renewal of such license
14 shall be issued by the commissioner upon approval of such application,
15 except that no such license shall be issued if its issuance would be
16 inconsistent with the provisions of section five hundred sixteen of this
17 title, and except that the commissioner may refuse to renew such license
18 if the applicant is the holder of a currently valid or renewable license
19 to drive issued by another state or foreign country unless the applicant
20 surrenders such license.
21 § 4. Subdivisions 7 and 8 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic
22 law are REPEALED and a new subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
23 7. Compliance with selective service act required. (a) All persons who
24 are at least eighteen years of age but less than twenty-six years of age
25 who apply to the commissioner for a learner's permit, driver's license,
26 renewal of license, or non-driver's identification card, shall either:
27 (i) be in compliance with the requirements of the military selective
28 service act as provided for pursuant to 50 U.S.C. App 451 et. seq., as
29 amended, or (ii) consent to permit the commissioner to forward such
30 information as is required to register such individual with the selec-
31 tive service system, if such individual must be registered pursuant to
32 such act.
33 (b) The commissioner shall forward in an electronic format the neces-
34 sary personal information required for registration of such individuals
35 specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision with the selective
36 service system. Such individual's application to the commissioner for a
37 learner's permit, driver's license, renewal of license or non-driver's
38 identification card shall serve as an indication that the applicant has
39 already registered with the military selective service act or that such
40 individual is authorizing the commissioner to forward to the selective
41 service system the necessary information for such selective service
42 registration. The commissioner shall notify such applicants on the
43 application form that any application for a learner's permit, driver's
44 license, renewal of license or non-driver's identification card shall
45 serve as consent to be registered with the selective service system, if
46 so required by federal law.
47 § 5. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic
48 law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, are amended to read
49 as follows:
50 2. Any application required to be filed under this article shall be in
51 a manner and on a form or forms prescribed by the commissioner. The
52 applicant shall furnish all information required by statute and[, except
53 as otherwise provided in this title,] such other information as the
54 commissioner shall deem appropriate.
55 3. License record. The commissioner shall keep a record of every
56 license issued which record shall be open to public inspection during
S. 6631 4
1 reasonable business hours. [Provided, however, that the following infor-
2 mation whenever contained within the record of non-commercial drivers'
3 licenses and learners' permits shall not be open to public inspection:
4 the photo image, social security number, client identification number,
5 name, address, telephone number, place of birth, country of origin,
6 place of employment, school or educational institution attended, source
7 of income, status as a recipient of public benefits, the customer iden-
8 tification number associated with a public utilities account, medical
9 information or disability information of any holders of, or applicants
10 for, such licenses and permits, and whether such licenses or permits
11 meet federal standards for identification or do not meet federal stand-
12 ards for identification.] Neither the commissioner nor his agent shall
13 be required to allow the inspection of an application, or to furnish a
14 copy thereof, or information therefrom, until a license has been issued
15 thereon.
16 § 6. Section 7 of chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, amending the vehicle
17 and traffic law relating to the issuance of non-commercial drivers'
18 licenses and learners' permits, is REPEALED.
19 § 7. This act shall take effect on the same date and same manner as
20 chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, takes effect. Effective immediately, the
21 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
22 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
23 to be made and completed on or before such date.