A 8640: Creates distinctive license plates for funeral homes and directors for service vehicles used for the purpose of transporting human remains.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8640 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY May 22, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WILLIAMS -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating distinctive license plates for funeral service vehicles The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares 2 that: 3 1. Recognition of essential services. Funeral service providers offer 4 critical support to families and communities during times of crisis and 5 loss. 6 2. Precedent in other states. Texas issues professional license plates 7 for categories such as emergency medical services personnel, peace offi- 8 cers, and professional firefighters, recognizing the unique nature of 9 their work. 10 3. Traffic and procession benefits. The identification of funeral 11 service vehicles can facilitate processions, allowing for greater coor- 12 dination with law enforcement and traffic control. 13 § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 14 404-ff to read as follows: 15 § 404-ff. Distinctive plates for New York state licensed funeral homes 16 or funeral directors. 1. Any New York state funeral home or funeral 17 director licensed pursuant to title two of article thirty-four of the 18 public health law shall, upon request, be issued a license plate format- 19 ted at the discretion of the department bearing the words "funeral 20 service vehicle" or similar and a unique design in order to distinguish 21 it from standard commercial or passenger plates. Such license plates 22 shall be reserved for vehicles operating for the purpose of transporting 23 human remains. Such license plate need not contain the statue of liberty 24 logo. Application for such license plate shall be filed with the commis- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10858-01-5 
 A. 8640 2 1 sioner in such form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe, and 2 shall be verified annually by the applicant. 3 2. The distinctive plate authorized in subdivision one of this section 4 shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the 5 applicant is presently an owner or representative of a licensed funeral 6 home or funeral director in the state of New York. 7 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued 8 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular 9 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 11 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 12 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 13 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 14 completed on or before such effective date.