Senate BillIntroduced
S 5395: Authorizes distinctive license plates for recipients of the Bronze or Silver star.
What S 5395 does, verified January 9, 2026
The bill proposes to issue distinctive license plates to recipients of the Bronze Star and Silver Star, two US military awards. These plates will bear the words "Bronze Star Recipient" or "Silver Star Recipient". The application process involves submitting proof of eligibility to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. A one-time service charge of $10 will be applied, and the plates will be issued in the same manner as regular license plates. The state will allocate $5,000 annually for the production of these plates, offsetting the costs. The bill will take effect 120 days after it becomes a law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION (2026-01-07)Alert me
Quick answers about S 5395
- What is the current status of S 5395?
- As of January 9, 2026, S 5395 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 TRANSPORTATION".
- Did S 5395 pass?
- Not yet. S 5395 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 5395, and where is it now?
- S 5395 was authored by Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Its committee of record is Senate Transportation.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions2 total · showing 2
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION |
| Feb. 21, 2025 | REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, February 21, 2025 · 400 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5395 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 distinctive license plates for recipients of the Bronze or Silver star 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 Bronze or Silver star recipients. 1. 4 Any recipient of a Bronze star or a Silver star residing in this state 5 or the spouse of any such recipient shall, upon request, be issued a 6 license plate bearing the words "Bronze star recipient" or "Silver star 7 recipient". If a distinctive plate is issued to a Bronze or Silver star 8 recipient pursuant to this section, such a distinctive plate shall not 9 be issued to the spouse of such recipient. Application for said license 10 plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and detail as 11 the commissioner shall prescribe. 12 2. The distinctive plate authorized in this section shall be issued 13 upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant or the 14 spouse of the applicant is a Bronze or Silver star recipient. 15 3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued 16 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular 17 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article, 18 provided, however, that an additional one-time service charge of ten 19 dollars shall be charged for such plate. Provided, however, that one 20 year after the effective date of this section, funds in the amount of 21 five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be available, shall be 22 allocated to the department to offset costs associated with the 23 production of such license plates. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 25 it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06150-01-5
Text of S 5395 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions