Senate BillIntroduced
S 5146: Establishes a deaf and hard of hearing outreach program to facilitate communication between deaf and hard of hearing individuals and law enforcement personnel.
What S 5146 does, verified April 2, 2026
The bill aims to improve communication between law enforcement and deaf and hard of hearing individuals. It requires the development and distribution of "visor communication cards" that provide specific procedures for assisting deaf and hard of hearing drivers during traffic stops. These cards will be issued to anyone who requests one and will be available in both physical and electronic formats. The cards will be designed and approved by the commissioner, and their electronic version will be made available on the state's website for law enforcement and other agencies to access. The bill takes effect immediately.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO FINANCE (2026-01-07)Alert me
Quick answers about S 5146
- What is the current status of S 5146?
- As of April 2, 2026, S 5146 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "REFERRED TO FINANCE".
- Did S 5146 pass?
- Not yet. S 5146 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 5146, and where is it now?
- S 5146 was authored by Sen. Leroy Comrie with 1 coauthor. Its committee of record is Senate Finance.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions2 total · showing 2
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO FINANCE |
| Feb. 19, 2025 | REFERRED TO FINANCE |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, February 19, 2025 · 382 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5146 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a deaf and hard of hearing outreach program to facilitate communication between law enforcement and deaf and hard of hearing individuals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-y 2 to read as follows: 3 § 837-y. Deaf and hard of hearing outreach program. 1. As used in this 4 section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 5 (a) "Deaf and hard of hearing" shall mean a person who has partial or 6 complete loss of hearing, including individuals who are deaf-blind. 7 (b) "Visor communication card" shall mean such identification as 8 issued by the division which identifies the driver as deaf and hard of 9 hearing, as defined in this section, and which details the appropriate 10 procedures for assisting a deaf and hard of hearing driver during a 11 traffic stop as promulgated by the division pursuant to this section. 12 2. The division shall develop and maintain visor communication cards 13 for the purpose of improving communication between law enforcement and 14 deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Any person residing in this state 15 shall, upon request, be issued a visor communication of a design 16 approved by the commissioner. Application for such visor communication 17 card shall be filed with the division in such form and detail as the 18 commissioner shall prescribe. 19 3. The division shall make available an electronic version of the 20 visor communication card on their website. The division shall dissem- 21 inate for the purpose of posting such electronic version to law enforce- 22 ment agencies and other state agencies where the public may obtain 23 information regarding motor vehicle registration and licenses. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05986-01-5
Text of S 5146 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions