STATE OF NEW YORK
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9503
IN SENATE
May 16, 2024
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Introduced by Sen. COONEY -- 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 creating the
"4-H member" distinctive license plate; and to amend the state finance
law, in relation to establishing the 4-H foundation 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 4-H member license plates. 1. Any person resid-
4 ing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive "4-H
5 member" license plate. Application for such license plate shall be
6 filed with the commissioner in such form and detail as the commissioner
7 shall prescribe.
8 2. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
9 in the same manner as other number plates upon the payment of the regu-
10 lar registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this
11 article; provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of
12 twenty-five dollars shall be charged for such plates. Such annual
13 service charge shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section
14 four hundred four-oo of this article, to the credit of the department of
15 motor vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section
16 ninety-five-g of the state finance law, and shall be used for the
17 production, design, advertising and marketing of distinctive license
18 plates pursuant to such section ninety-five-g; provided, however, that
19 annual service charges collected in excess of six thousand dollars shall
20 be deposited to the credit of the New York 4-H foundation and shall be
21 used for furtherance of the 4-H program, pursuant to section
22 ninety-six-a of the state finance law.
23 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 96-a to
24 read as follows:
25 § 96-a. The 4-H foundation fund. 1. There is hereby established, in
26 the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the
27 comptroller, a special fund to be known as the 4-H foundation fund.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07140-01-3
S. 9503 2
1 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to the
2 provisions of section four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic
3 law and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto
4 from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in
5 this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or
6 bequests for the purposes of the fund, as defined in this section, and
7 depositing them into the fund according to law.
8 3. Monies of the fund shall be expended only for the benefit and
9 programs of the 4-H foundation.
10 4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of
11 the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner
12 of agriculture and markets.
13 5. To the extent possible, the commissioner of agriculture and markets
14 shall ensure that all monies received during a fiscal year are expended
15 prior to the end of that fiscal year.
16 § 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
17 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall
18 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
19 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand
20 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the
21 department of financial services to transact business in this state.
22 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have
23 received prior to the plate design, production and issuance of at least
24 two hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the addi-
25 tional annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall
26 be non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All such
27 service charges shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section
28 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of
29 motor vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section
30 95-g of the state finance law and shall be used for the design,
31 production, advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates
32 in accordance with such section 95-g.
33 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
34 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
35 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
36 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
37 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles
38 shall be entitled to recover against the bond in an amount proportionate
39 to such shortfall.
40 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
41 sections one and three of this act shall take effect on the one hundred
42 eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
43 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
44 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
45 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
