A 3785: Grants the superintendent of financial services authority to investigate fraudulent activities, such as motor vehicle operators who drive with no insurance coverage, and those who misrepresent their principal place of residence or where their motor vehicle is principally garaged and operated; authorizes such superintendent to accept reports of suspected fraudulent insurance actions; requires insurance companies and self-insurers to report incidents of insurance fraud to the department of financial services; includes within the class D felony of forgery in the second degree, the forgery of a certificate of insurance or an insurance identification card; includes within the class C felony of forgery in the first degree, the forgery of 10 or more written instruments; includes within the class E felony of insurance fraud in the fourth degree, the operation of a motor vehicle in this state when the vehicle is insured in another state, but it is actually garaged in this state or the owner principally resides in this state; requires applicants for motor vehicle registrations and driver's licenses to provide the department of motor vehicles with the address of their principal place of residence; relates to the crime of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; adds other motor vehicle related crimes as predicate crimes which may increase punishment for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in the second degree when one is convicted of such crimes within the preceding ten years.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3785 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, the penal law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to insurance fraud and combatting the theft of motor vehicles The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 401 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 2 subsection (d) to read as follows: 3 (d) The superintendent shall have authority pursuant to this chapter 4 to investigate fraudulent activities with regard to individuals that 5 operate motor vehicles with no insurance coverage, and motor vehicle 6 insureds who misrepresent the principal place where insured motor vehi- 7 cles are garaged and operated. Operating motor vehicles without proper 8 insurance in violation of article six of the vehicle and traffic law is 9 a significant danger to the public because drivers are unable to compen- 10 sate individuals for personal injuries, death and property damage they 11 inflict upon others. Furthermore, motor vehicle insureds who misrepre- 12 sent the principal place where such vehicles are garaged and operated 13 improperly shift their high liability exposure costs to other motor 14 vehicle insureds that do not face such high liability risk and insurance 15 premium costs. 16 § 2. Subsection (a) of section 405 of the insurance law, as amended by 17 section 7 of part A of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to 18 read as follows: 19 (a) Any person licensed or registered pursuant to the provisions of 20 this chapter, and any person engaged in the business of insurance or 21 life settlement in this state who is exempted from compliance with the 22 licensing requirements of this chapter, including the state insurance 23 fund of this state, who has reason to believe that an insurance trans- 24 action or life settlement act may be fraudulent, or has knowledge that a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07225-01-5 
 A. 3785 2 1 fraudulent insurance transaction or fraudulent life settlement act is 2 about to take place, or has taken place shall, within thirty days after 3 determination by such person that the transaction appears to be fraudu- 4 lent, send to the superintendent on a form prescribed by the superinten- 5 dent, the information requested by the form and such additional informa- 6 tion relative to the factual circumstances of the transaction and the 7 parties involved as the superintendent may require. The superintendent 8 shall accept reports of suspected fraudulent insurance transactions or 9 fraudulent life settlement acts from any self insurer, including but not 10 limited to self insurers providing health insurance coverage, those 11 providing motor vehicle liability insurance or those defined in section 12 fifty of the workers' compensation law, and shall treat such reports as 13 any other received pursuant to this section. 14 § 3. Section 2133 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 77 of 15 the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 16 § 2133. [Forged] False insurance documents and forged insurance iden- 17 tification cards. Any insurance company, insurance agent, insurance 18 broker or other person who or which, personally or by the action of an 19 employee or agent, knowingly possesses, transfers or uses: (a) any docu- 20 ment which purports to evince insurance coverage when such coverage is 21 not in effect or is in effect at limits less than those stated in the 22 document; or (b) a forged insurance identification card for a motor 23 vehicle, having knowledge, personally or through such employee or agent, 24 of the fact that such insurance identification card, when issued, did 25 not actually represent an owner's policy of liability insurance or a 26 financial security bond issued by an insurance company licensed to do 27 business in this state covering the motor vehicle identified on such 28 card, shall be liable for payment to the people of this state of a civil 29 penalty in a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars for the first such 30 violation and a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars for each subse- 31 quent violation. For the purposes of this section the term "forged 32 insurance identification card" means a written insurance identification 33 card which has been falsely made, completed or altered, and the term 34 "falsely made, completed or altered" shall have the same meaning as set 35 forth in section 170.00 of the penal law. 36 § 4. Section 165.06 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 413 of the 37 laws of 1982, is amended to read as follows: 38 § 165.06 Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the second degree. 39 A person is guilty of unauthorized use of a vehicle in the second 40 degree when: 41 [He] Such person commits the crime of unauthorized use of a vehicle in 42 the third degree as defined in subdivision one of section 165.05 of this 43 article and has been previously convicted of the crime of unauthorized 44 use of a vehicle [in the third degree] as defined in [subdivision one of 45 section 165.05 or second degree] sections 165.05, 165.06, and 165.08, 46 auto stripping as defined in sections 165.09, 165.10, and 165.11, grand 47 larceny of a motor vehicle as defined in sections 155.30, 155.35, 48 155.40, and 155.42, criminal possession of stolen property as defined in 49 sections 165.40, 165.45, 165.50, 165.52, and 165.54 and the stolen 50 property consisted of a motor vehicle, or illegal possession of a vehi- 51 cle identification number as defined in section 170.70 within the 52 preceding ten years. 53 Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the second degree is a class E felo- 54 ny. 55 § 5. Subdivision 5 of section 170.10 of the penal law is amended and 56 a new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows: 
 A. 3785 3 1 5. A prescription of a duly licensed physician or other person author- 2 ized to issue the same for any drug or any instrument or device used in 3 the taking or administering of drugs for which a prescription is 4 required by law[.]; or 5 6. A certificate of insurance or an insurance identification card, as 6 defined in section three hundred eleven of the vehicle and traffic law. 7 § 6. Section 170.15 of the penal law is amended to read as follows: 8 § 170.15 Forgery in the first degree. 9 A person is guilty of forgery in the first degree when, with intent to 10 defraud, deceive or injure another, [he] such person falsely makes, 11 completes or alters [a]: 12 1. Ten or more written instruments; or 13 2. A written instrument which is or purports to be, or which is calcu- 14 lated to become or to represent if completed: 15 [1.] (a) Part of an issue of money, stamps, securities or other valu- 16 able instruments issued by a government or governmental instrumentality; 17 or 18 [2.] (b) Part of an issue of stock, bonds or other instruments repres- 19 enting interests in or claims against a corporate or other organization 20 or its property. 21 Forgery in the first degree is a class C felony. 22 § 7. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 175.50 to read 23 as follows: 24 § 175.50 Offering a false application for motor vehicle insurance or 25 registration. 26 A person is guilty of offering a false application for motor vehicle 27 insurance or registration when knowing that any document such person 28 files with the department of motor vehicles or an insurer providing 29 liability insurance for a motor vehicle contains a false statement or 30 false information with regard to where such person resides or where such 31 person's motor vehicle is garaged and operated. 32 Offering a false application for motor vehicle insurance or registra- 33 tion is a class E felony. 34 § 8. Subdivision 1 of section 176.05 of the penal law, as amended by 35 chapter 211 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows: 36 1. any written statement as part of, or in support of, an application 37 for the issuance of, or the rating of a commercial insurance policy, or 38 certificate or evidence of self insurance for commercial or personal 39 insurance or commercial or personal self insurance, or a claim for 40 payment or other benefit pursuant to an insurance policy or self insur- 41 ance program for commercial or personal insurance that [he or she] such 42 person knows to: 43 (a) contain materially false information concerning any fact material 44 thereto; or 45 (b) conceal, for the purpose of misleading, information concerning any 46 fact material thereto; or 47 § 9. Section 176.15 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 515 of the 48 laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows: 49 § 176.15 Insurance fraud in the fourth degree. 50 A person is guilty of insurance fraud in the fourth degree when [he 51 commits] such person: 52 1. commits a fraudulent insurance act and thereby wrongfully takes, 53 obtains or withholds, or attempts to wrongfully take, obtain or withhold 54 property with a value in excess of one thousand dollars; or 55 2. operates a motor vehicle on a public highway, when being the owner 56 of such motor vehicle, such person knows the motor vehicle is insured by 
 A. 3785 4 1 a policy issued under the laws of another state, when such person main- 2 tains such person's principal residence in this state or such motor 3 vehicle is principally garaged in this state, and such insurance policy 4 was issued upon any written or oral statement by such person that such 5 person principally resides in such other state or that such motor vehi- 6 cle is principally garaged in such other state. 7 Insurance fraud in the fourth degree is a class E felony. 8 § 10. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 9 201-a to read as follows: 10 § 201-a. Access to information. The department shall allow law 11 enforcement personnel access to any individual's street address provided 12 pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision one of section four hundred one 13 and subdivision one-a of section five hundred two of this chapter. 14 § 11. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 401 of the vehicle and 15 traffic law, as amended by chapter 222 of the laws of 1996, is amended 16 to read as follows: 17 b. Every owner of a motor vehicle which shall be operated or driven 18 upon the public highways of this state shall, except as otherwise 19 expressly provided, cause to be presented, by mail or otherwise, to the 20 office or a branch office of the commissioner, or to any agent of the 21 commissioner, constituted as provided in this chapter, an application 22 for registration addressed to the commissioner, and on a blank to be 23 prepared under the direction of and furnished by the commissioner for 24 that purpose, containing: (a) a brief description of the motor vehicle 25 to be registered, including the name and factory number of such vehicle, 26 and such other facts as the commissioner shall require; (b) the weight 27 of the vehicle upon which the registration fee is based if the fee is 28 based on weight; (c) the name and residence, including county of the 29 owner of such motor vehicle, provided that if the applicant uses a post 30 office box when providing a residence address, such applicant shall also 31 provide the street address at which such applicant resides; (d) provided 32 that, if such motor vehicle is used or to be used as an omnibus, the 33 applicant also shall so certify, and in the case of an omnibus also 34 certify as to the seating capacity, and if the omnibus is to be operated 35 wholly within a municipality pursuant to a franchise other than a fran- 36 chise express or implied in articles of incorporation upon certain 37 streets designated in such franchise, those facts shall also be certi- 38 fied, and a certified copy of such franchise furnished to the commis- 39 sioner; (e) provided, that, if such motor vehicle is an altered livery, 40 the applicant shall so furnish a certified copy of the length of the 41 center panel of such vehicle, provided, however, that the commissioner 42 shall require such proof, as [he] the commissioner may determine is 43 necessary, in the application for registration and provided further, if 44 the center panel of such vehicle exceeds one hundred inches, the commis- 45 sioner shall require proof that such vehicle is in compliance with all 46 applicable federal and state motor vehicle safety standards; and (f) 47 such additional facts or evidence as the commissioner may require in 48 connection with the application for registration. Every owner of a 49 trailer shall also make application for the registration thereof in the 50 manner herein provided for an application to register a motor vehicle, 51 but shall contain a statement showing the manufacturer's number or other 52 identification satisfactory to the commissioner and no number plate for 53 a trailer issued under the provisions of subdivision three of section 54 four hundred two of this [chapter] article shall be transferred to or 55 used upon any other trailer than the one for which number plate is 56 issued. The commissioner shall require proof, in the application for 
 A. 3785 5 1 registration, or otherwise, as such commissioner may determine, that the 2 motor vehicle for which registration is applied for is equipped with 3 lights conforming in all respects to the requirements of this chapter, 4 and no motor vehicle shall be registered unless it shall appear by such 5 proofs that such motor vehicle is equipped with proper lights as afore- 6 said. The said application shall contain or be accompanied by such 7 evidence of the ownership of the motor vehicle described in the applica- 8 tion as may be required by the commissioner or [his] the commissioner's 9 agent and which, with respect to new vehicles, shall include, unless 10 otherwise specifically provided by the commissioner, the manufacturer's 11 statement of origin. Applications received by an agent of the commis- 12 sioner shall be forwarded to the commissioner as [he] the commissioner 13 shall direct for filing. No application for registration shall be 14 accepted unless the applicant is at least sixteen years of age and has 15 signed such application attesting to the truth and veracity of the facts 16 stated therein. 17 § 12. Section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding 18 a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows: 19 1-a. Provision of street address. In addition to the requirements of 20 subdivision one of this section, each applicant, when providing such 21 applicant's address, shall provide the street address at which such 22 applicant resides. The applicant shall sign such applicant's application 23 attesting to the truth and veracity of the place of such applicant's 24 residence. 25 § 13. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day 26 after it shall have become a law; provided however, that sections four, 27 five, six, seven, eight and nine of this act shall take effect on the 28 first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become 29 a law.