A 10974: Relates to establishing distinctive "Women Veterans" plates and the women veterans support fund; establishes that moneys of the fund will be used for women veteran homelessness, counseling and other programs that support women veterans.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10974  IN ASSEMBLY April 14, 2026 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MEEKS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing distinctive "Women Veterans" license plates; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the "women veterans 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 "Women Veterans" license plates. 1. Any person 4 residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive 5 "Women Veterans" license plate of a design approved by the commissioner. 6 Application for said license plate shall be filed with the form and 7 detail as the commissioner 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 plate. Such additional 13 service charge shall be deposited pursuant to section four hundred four- 14 oo of this article to the credit of the department of motor vehicles 15 distinctive plate development fund, established by section ninety-five-g 16 of the state finance law, and shall be used for the production, design, 17 advertising and marketing of distinctive number plates; provided, howev- 18 er, that additional annual service charges collected in excess of six 19 thousand dollars shall be deposited to the credit of the women veterans 20 support fund established pursuant to section ninety-five-l of the state 21 finance law. 22 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-l to 23 read as follows: 24 § 95-l. Women veterans support fund. 1. There is hereby established in 25 the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07831-01-5 
 A. 10974 2 1 comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "women veterans support 2 fund". 3 2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys collected pursuant to section 4 four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic law, and all other 5 moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund 6 or source pursuant to law. 7 3. Moneys of the fund shall be expended by the New York state division 8 of veterans' affairs' women veterans' services. These funds shall be 9 used for women veterans homelessness, counseling and other programs that 10 support women veterans. 11 § 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of 12 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall 13 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart- 14 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand 15 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the 16 department of financial services to transact business in this state. 17 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have 18 received prior to the plate design, production and issuance at least two 19 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional 20 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be 21 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All such service 22 charges shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo 23 of the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor 24 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g 25 of the state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, 26 advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance 27 with such section 95-g. 28 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which 29 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale, two 30 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant 31 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of 32 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles 33 shall be entitled to recover against the bond an amount proportionate to 34 such shortfall. 35 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 36 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section three of 37 this act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the 38 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 39 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 40 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.