S 2261: Provides that family members of paid professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty may obtain a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate; provides for the annual service charge collected to be deposited into the department of motor vehicles distinctive license plate development fund.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2261 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 16, 2025 ___________ 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 authorizing the issuance of distinctive license plates for family members of paid professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty 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 license plates for family members of paid 4 professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty. 1. For purposes 5 of this section, "family members of a paid professional firefighter who 6 died in the line-of-duty" shall mean a spouse, registered domestic part- 7 ner, parent, sibling or child of a paid professional firefighter who 8 died in the course of employment or performance of duties as a fire- 9 fighter. 10 2. Any family member of a paid professional firefighter who died in 11 the line-of-duty and who resides in this state shall, upon request, be 12 issued a distinctive license plate bearing the words "Survivor of the 13 Bravest" of a design approved by the commissioner. Application for such 14 license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and 15 detail as the commissioner shall prescribe and shall be verified annual- 16 ly by the applicant. 17 3. A distinctive plate authorized pursuant to subdivision two of this 18 section shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, 19 that the applicant is a family member of a paid professional firefighter 20 who died in the line-of-duty. 21 4. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued 22 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular 23 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article, 24 provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of twenty- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03548-01-5 
 S. 2261 2 1 five dollars shall be charged for such plate. Such annual service 2 charge shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section four 3 hundred four-oo of this article to the credit of the department of motor 4 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section nine- 5 ty-five-g of the state finance law and shall be used for the production, 6 design, advertising and marketing of distinctive license plates pursuant 7 to such section ninety-five-g. 8 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of 9 the vehicle and traffic law as added by section one of this act shall 10 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart- 11 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand 12 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the 13 department of financial services to transact business in this state. 14 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have 15 received prior to plate design, production and issuance at least two 16 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional 17 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be 18 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All service 19 charges collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited pursuant 20 to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to 21 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate devel- 22 opment fund established by section 95-g of the state finance law and 23 shall be used for the design, production, advertising and distribution 24 of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g. 25 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which 26 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two 27 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant 28 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of 29 such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled to 30 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall. 31 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 32 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this 33 act shall take effect immediately; provided further, however, that 34 effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule 35 or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec- 36 tive date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such 37 effective date.