Bill Text: NY S02147 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the issue of non-commercial drivers' licenses and learners' permits in counties which contain in whole or in part boundary land.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S02147 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S02147-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2147

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 18, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  STEC, OBERACKER, O'MARA -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Trans-
          portation

        AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the issue of
          non-commercial  drivers'  licenses  and  learners' permits in counties
          which contain in whole or in part boundary land; and to repeal certain
          provisions of such law relating thereto

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section  201 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision 13 to read as follows:
     3    13. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, subdi-
     4  visions eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve of this section  shall  not
     5  apply  to  counties  which  contain  in  whole  or in part boundary land
     6  defined in section five of the state law.
     7    § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and  traffic  law  is
     8  REPEALED and a new subdivision 1 is added to read as follows:
     9    1.  Application  for license. Application for a driver's license shall
    10  be made to the commissioner. The fee  prescribed by law may be submitted
    11  with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi-
    12  ty, age, and   fitness as may be  required  by  the  commissioner.  With
    13  respect  to a non-commercial driver's license or learner's permit  which
    14  does not meet federal standards for identification, in addition  to  the
    15  acceptable  proofs  of age and identity  approved by the commissioner as
    16  of January first, two thousand nineteen, acceptable  proof  of  identity
    17  shall,  in   counties other than those which contain in whole or in part
    18  boundary land defined in section five of the state law, also    include,
    19  but not be limited to, a valid, unexpired foreign passport issued by the
    20  applicant's  country  of  citizenship   (which shall also be eligible as
    21  proof of age),  a  valid,  unexpired  consular  identification  document
    22  issued  by a consulate from the applicant's country of citizenship, or a

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06230-01-3

        S. 2147                             2

     1  valid foreign driver's license  that  includes  a  photo  image  of  the
     2  applicant  and  which  is unexpired or expired for less than twenty-four
     3  months of its date of expiration, as primary  forms of such proof. Noth-
     4  ing  contained  in  this  subdivision  shall  be  deemed to preclude the
     5  commissioner from  approving additional proofs of identity and age.  The
     6  license shall display the sex designation of M, F, or X as certified  by
     7  the  applicant, with no additional documentation required. The applicant
     8  may amend the sex designation of their driver's  license  upon  request.
     9  Upon amendment of the sex designation, the change shall be made consist-
    10  ent through all affiliated records within the control of the department.
    11  The  commissioner may also provide that the application procedure  shall
    12  include the taking of a photo  image  or  images  of  the  applicant  in
    13  accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In
    14  addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide
    15  such  applicant's social security number or, in lieu thereof in counties
    16  other than those which contain in whole or in part boundary land defined
    17  in section five of the state law, with respect to an application  for  a
    18  non-commercial driver's license or learner's  permit which does not meet
    19  federal standards for identification, an affidavit signed by such appli-
    20  cant  that  they  have    not  been issued a social security number. The
    21  commissioner also shall provide space on the  application  so  that  the
    22  applicant  may  request a notation upon such license that such applicant
    23  is a veteran of the United States armed forces.  The  commissioner  also
    24  shall provide space on the application so that the applicant may request
    25  a  notation  upon  such  license that such applicant is a veteran of the
    26  United States armed forces; and space on the  application  so  that  the
    27  applicant  may  register  in the New   York state organ and tissue donor
    28  registry under section forty-three hundred ten of the public health  law
    29  with  the  following  stated on the application in clear and conspicuous
    30  type:
    31    "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to  be  added
    32  to  the  Donate  Life Registry? Check box  for 'yes' or 'skip this ques-
    33  tion'."
    34    The commissioner of health shall not maintain records  of  any  person
    35  who  checks  "skip this question".  Except where the application is made
    36  in person or electronically, failure to check a box shall not impair the
    37  validity of an application, and failure to check "yes" or checking "skip
    38  this question" shall not be construed to imply a wish not to donate.  In
    39  the  case  of  an  applicant under eighteen years of age, checking "yes"
    40  shall not constitute consent to  make an anatomical gift or registration
    41  in the donate life registry, except as otherwise  provided  pursuant  to
    42  the  provisions  of  paragraph  (b) of subdivision one of section forty-
    43  three hundred one of the public health law.  Where  an    applicant  has
    44  previously  consented  to  make  an anatomical gift or registered in the
    45  donate life registry, checking "skip  this question" or failing to check
    46  a box shall not impair that consent or  registration.  In  addition,  an
    47  applicant  for  a commercial driver's license who will operate a commer-
    48  cial motor vehicle in interstate  commerce  shall  certify  that    such
    49  applicant  meets the requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle,
    50  as set forth in public law 99-570, title  XII, and title 49 of the  code
    51  of  federal  regulations,  and all regulations promulgated by the United
    52  States secretary of transportation under the hazardous materials  trans-
    53  portation  act.  In  addition,  an  applicant  for a commercial driver's
    54  license shall submit a medical certificate at such intervals as required
    55  by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act  of  1999  and  Part
    56  383.71(h)  of  title  49  of the code of federal regulations relating to

        S. 2147                             3

     1  medical  certification and in a manner prescribed by  the  commissioner.
     2  For  purposes  of  this  section and sections five hundred   three, five
     3  hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this title, the terms "medical
     4  certificate" and "medical  certification" shall mean a form substantial-
     5  ly  in  compliance with the form set forth in Part 391.43(h) of title 49
     6  of the  code of federal regulations. Upon a determination that the hold-
     7  er of a commercial driver's license has made any false  statement,  with
     8  respect  to  the  application  for  such license, the commissioner shall
     9  revoke such license.
    10    § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehicle  and
    11  traffic law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
    12  read as follows:
    13    (a)  A  license  issued  pursuant  to subdivision five of this section
    14  shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless  such
    15  license  is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed
    16  by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by  law,
    17  proofs  of  prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by
    18  the commissioner, the applicant's social security  number  or,  in  lieu
    19  thereof  in  counties other than those which contain in whole or in part
    20  boundary land defined in section five of the state law, with respect  to
    21  an application for a non-commercial driver's license or learner's permit
    22  which  does  not meet federal standards for identification, an affidavit
    23  signed by such applicant that they have not been issued a social securi-
    24  ty number, and if required by the commissioner, a  photo  image  of  the
    25  applicant  in such numbers and form as the commissioner shall prescribe.
    26  In addition, an applicant for renewal of a license containing a  hazard-
    27  ous  material  endorsement  shall  pass  an  examination  to retain such
    28  endorsement. The commissioner shall, with respect to the  renewal  of  a
    29  hazardous  materials  endorsement,  comply with the requirements imposed
    30  upon states by sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the  code  of
    31  federal  regulations.  A  renewal of such license shall be issued by the
    32  commissioner upon approval of such  application,  except  that  no  such
    33  license  shall  be issued if its issuance would be inconsistent with the
    34  provisions of section five hundred sixteen of  this  title,  and  except
    35  that  the commissioner may refuse to renew such license if the applicant
    36  is the holder of a currently valid or renewable license to drive  issued
    37  by another state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such
    38  license.
    39    §  4.  Subdivision  8 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is
    40  amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
    41    (f) This subdivision shall not apply  to  counties  which  contain  in
    42  whole or in part boundary land defined in section five of the state law.
    43    §  5.  Subdivision 3 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
    44  amended by chapter 37 of the  laws  of  2019,  is  amended  to  read  as
    45  follows:
    46    3.  License  record.  The  commissioner  shall  keep a record of every
    47  license issued which record shall be open to  public  inspection  during
    48  reasonable  business  hours.  Provided,  however, in counties other than
    49  those which contain in whole or in part boundary land defined in section
    50  five of the state law, that the following information whenever contained
    51  within the record of  non-commercial  drivers'  licenses  and  learners'
    52  permits  shall not be open to public inspection: the photo image, social
    53  security number, client identification number, name, address,  telephone
    54  number,  place  of birth, country of origin, place of employment, school
    55  or educational institution attended,  source  of  income,  status  as  a
    56  recipient of public benefits, the customer identification number associ-

        S. 2147                             4

     1  ated  with a public utilities account, medical information or disability
     2  information of any holders of, or  applicants  for,  such  licenses  and
     3  permits, and whether such licenses or permits meet federal standards for
     4  identification  or  do  not  meet  federal standards for identification.
     5  Neither the commissioner nor his agent shall be required  to  allow  the
     6  inspection  of an application, or to furnish a copy thereof, or informa-
     7  tion therefrom, until a license has been issued thereon.
     8    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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