S 5355: Relates to the issuance of distinctive plates for retired members of the New York state legislature.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5355 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 20, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- 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 the issuance of specialty plates for retired members of the New York state legisla- ture 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 plates for retired members of the New York state 4 legislature. 1. Any retired member of the New York state legislature 5 residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate 6 bearing the words "Retired NYS Legislator". Application for said license 7 plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and detail as 8 the commissioner shall prescribe, and shall be verified annually by the 9 applicant. 10 2. The distinctive plate authorized in this section shall be issued 11 upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant is a 12 retired member of the New York state legislature. 13 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued 14 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular 15 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article, 16 provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of twenty- 17 five dollars shall be charged for such plate. 18 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of 19 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall 20 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart- 21 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand 22 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the 23 department of financial services to transact business in this state. 24 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01989-01-5 
 S. 5355 2 1 received prior to plate design, production and issuance at least two 2 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional 3 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be 4 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All service 5 charges collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited pursuant 6 to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to 7 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate devel- 8 opment fund established by section 95-g of the state finance law and 9 shall be used for the design, production, advertising and distribution 10 of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g. 11 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which 12 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two 13 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant 14 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of 15 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles 16 shall be entitled to recover against the bond in an amount proportionate 17 to such shortfall. 18 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 19 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this 20 act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the addition, 21 amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the 22 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be 23 made and completed on or before such effective date.