STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2970
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 31, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sens. GRIFFO, RITCHIE, TEDISCO -- 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 distinctive
          plates for legion of valor recipients
          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 legion of valor  recipients.  1.  Any
     4  person  who  is  a  recipient  of the army medal of honor, navy medal of
     5  honor, air force medal of honor, army distinguished service cross,  navy
     6  cross,  coast  guard  cross,  or  air force cross residing in this state
     7  shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "legion
     8  of valor" and depicting the individual's military award decal.  Applica-
     9  tion for said license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such
    10  form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
    11    2. The distinctive plate authorized herein shall be issued upon proof,
    12  satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant is an army medal of
    13  honor, navy medal of honor, air force medal of honor, army distinguished
    14  service cross, navy cross, coast guard cross, or air force cross recipi-
    15  ent.
    16    3. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
    17  in  the  same  manner as other number plates, provided, however, that no
    18  registration fee or service charge shall be charged for such plate.
    19    § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff  of
    20  the  vehicle  and  traffic law as added by section one of this act shall
    21  only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to  the  depart-
    22  ment of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall
    23  be  executed  by a surety company authorized by the department of finan-
    24  cial services to transact business in  this  state.  Provided,  however,
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08534-01-9

        S. 2970                             2
     1  that  if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior to
     2  plate design, production and issuance at least two  hundred  orders  for
     3  such  distinctive  plate  together  with  the  additional annual service
     4  charge  applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no
     5  such surety bond shall be required.  All such service charges  shall  be
     6  deposited  pursuant  to  the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle
     7  and traffic law to the  credit  of  the  department  of  motor  vehicles
     8  distinctive  plate  development  fund established by section 95-g of the
     9  state finance law and shall be used for the design,  production,  adver-
    10  tising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with
    11  such section 95-g.
    12    2.  If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
    13  distinctive plates in the  series  are  first  available  for  sale  two
    14  hundred  or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
    15  to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
    16  such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled  to
    17  recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
    18    §  3.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
    19  section one of this act shall take effect on the one  hundred  eightieth
    20  day  after  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
    21  tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  necessary  for
    22  the  implementation  of this act on its effective date are authorized to
    23  be made and completed on or before such effective date.