A 7068: Provides for the issuance of distinctive "The Westchester Way" license plates for an additional $25 annual fee; provides for the service charge collected to be credited to the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate development fund and the excess of six thousand dollars to be deposited in the "New York state 'The Westchester Way' fund" to be used to promote tourism in Westchester county; establishes the New York state "The Westchester Way fund" to administer such monies, which shall be made available to tourism promotion agencies.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7068 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 20, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the production of and the assessment of a surcharge for distinctive "The Westchester Way" license plates; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the New York state "The Westchester Way 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. Issuance of distinctive "The Westchester Way" license 4 plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be 5 issued a distinctive "The Westchester Way" license plate. The design of 6 such distinctive plate shall be developed by the commissioner in cooper- 7 ation with the Westchester county office of tourism, a recognized tour- 8 ism promotion agency pursuant to section one hundred sixty-three of the 9 economic development law, and shall utilize the "The Westchester Way" 10 logo, as well as any other language or information appropriate to the 11 promotion of tourism for the county of Westchester. Application for 12 said license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and 13 detail as the commissioner shall prescribe. 14 2. A distinctive "The Westchester Way" license plate issued pursuant 15 to this section shall be issued in the same manner as other number 16 plates upon the payment of the regular registration fees prescribed by 17 section four hundred one of this article; provided, however, that an 18 additional annual service charge of twenty-five dollars shall be charged 19 for such plate. Such annual service charge shall be deposited pursuant 20 to the provisions of section four hundred four-oo of this article, to 21 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate devel- 22 opment fund established by section ninety-five-g of the state finance EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10549-01-5 
 A. 7068 2 1 law, and shall be used for the production, design, advertising and 2 marketing of distinctive license plates pursuant to such section nine- 3 ty-five-g; provided, however, that annual service charges collected in 4 excess of six thousand dollars shall be deposited to the credit of "The 5 New York state 'The Westchester Way' fund" established pursuant to 6 section ninety-seven-uuuu of the state finance law and shall be used for 7 tourism promotion projects pursuant to such section ninety-seven-uuuu 8 within the county of Westchester. 9 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-uuuu 10 to read as follows: 11 § 97-uuuu. The New York state "The Westchester Way fund". 1. There is 12 hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation 13 and finance and the comptroller a special fund to be known as the New 14 York state "The Westchester Way fund". 15 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to the 16 provisions of section four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic 17 law and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto 18 from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this 19 section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or 20 bequests for the purposes of the fund, as defined in this section, and 21 depositing them into the fund according to law. 22 3. Monies of the fund shall be expended only for tourism promotion 23 projects which promote tourism in the county of Westchester. Monies of 24 the fund shall be available for tourism promotion purposes, exclusive of 25 administrative expenses, to an entity designated by local law of the 26 county of Westchester as responsible for tourism promotion for the coun- 27 ty of Westchester; provided, however, that such designated entity shall 28 cause to be developed annually a plan for tourism promotion approved by 29 the commissioner of the department of economic development. Such tourism 30 promotion plan shall include, but not be limited to, proposed expendi- 31 tures for tourism promotion projects promoting tourism in the county of 32 Westchester and evidence that such plan will not duplicate tourism 33 promotion conducted by the local tourism promotion agency. 34 4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of 35 the comptroller, on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner 36 of the department of economic development. 37 5. To the extent practicable, the commissioner of the department of 38 economic development shall ensure that all monies received during a 39 fiscal year are expended prior to the end of that fiscal year. 40 § 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of 41 the vehicle and traffic law as added by section one of this act shall 42 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart- 43 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand 44 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the 45 department of financial services to transact business in this state. 46 Provided, however, that if the commissioner shall have received prior to 47 the plate design, production and issuance at least two hundred orders 48 for such distinctive plate together with the additional annual service 49 charge applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no 50 such surety bond shall be required. All such service charges shall be 51 deposited pursuant to the provisions of section four hundred four-oo of 52 the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the New York state "The 53 Westchester Way fund" established by section ninety-seven-uuuu of the 54 state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, adver- 55 tising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with 56 such section ninety-seven-uuuu. 
 A. 7068 3 1 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which 2 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two 3 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant 4 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of 5 such plates are sold by such time, the department shall be entitled to 6 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall. 7 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 8 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section three of 9 this act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the addi- 10 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for 11 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and 12 directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.