Bill Text: NY S05444 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to the issuance of driver's licenses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-10 - PRINT NUMBER 5444A [S05444 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S05444-Amended.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 5444--A 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E May 16, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, HASSELL-THOMPSON, RIVERA, SAMPSON, SMITH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to issuance of driver's licenses; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relat- ing thereto THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic 2 law, as separately amended by chapters 465 and 487 of the laws of 2012, 3 is REPEALED and a new subdivision 1 is added to read as follows: 4 1. APPLICATION FOR LICENSE. APPLICATION FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE SHALL 5 BE MADE TO THE COMMISSIONER. THE FEE PRESCRIBED BY LAW MAY BE SUBMITTED 6 WITH SUCH APPLICATION. THE APPLICANT SHALL FURNISH SUCH PROOF OF IDENTI- 7 TY, AGE, AND FITNESS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER. ACCEPTABLE 8 PROOF OF IDENTITY SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO FOREIGN PASSPORTS 9 (VISA STAMPS ARE NOT REQUIRED), VALID DOCUMENTATION ISSUED BY USCIS AND 10 CONSULAR IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS. ELIGIBILITY FOR A DRIVERS' LICENSE 11 SHALL NOT BE CONDITIONED ON A PARTICULAR IMMIGRATION STATUS. THE COMMIS- 12 SIONER MAY ALSO PROVIDE THAT THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE SHALL INCLUDE THE 13 TAKING OF A PHOTO IMAGE OR IMAGES OF THE APPLICANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER. IN ADDITION, THE 15 COMMISSIONER ALSO SHALL REQUIRE THAT THE APPLICANT PROVIDE HIS OR HER 16 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER WHERE SUCH APPLICANT IS A LEGAL IMMIGRANT, OR 17 INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (ITIN) OR A LETTER OR FORM 18 FROM THE UNITED STATES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION THAT STATES THAT 19 THE APPLICANT IS NOT ELIGIBLE OR SUBMIT A SWORN STATEMENT UNDER THE 20 PENALTY OF PERJURY, STATING THAT THE APPLICANT DOES NOT HAVE A SOCIAL EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11097-02-4 S. 5444--A 2 1 SECURITY NUMBER OR ITIN, AND SHALL PROVIDE SPACE ON THE APPLICATION SO 2 THAT THE APPLICANT MAY REGISTER IN THE NEW YORK STATE ORGAN AND TISSUE 3 DONOR REGISTRY UNDER SECTION FORTY-THREE HUNDRED TEN OF THE PUBLIC 4 HEALTH LAW WITH THE FOLLOWING STATED ON THE APPLICATION IN CLEAR AND 5 CONSPICUOUS TYPE: 6 "YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING SECTION: WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ADDED 7 TO THE DONATE LIFE REGISTRY? CHECK BOX FOR 'YES' OR 'SKIP THIS QUES- 8 TION'." 9 THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL NOT MAINTAIN 10 RECORDS OF ANY PERSON WHO CHECKS "SKIP THIS QUESTION". FAILURE TO CHECK 11 A BOX SHALL NOT IMPAIR THE VALIDITY OF AN APPLICATION, AND FAILURE TO 12 CHECK "YES" OR CHECKING "SKIP THIS QUESTION" SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO 13 IMPLY A WISH NOT TO DONATE. IN THE CASE OF AN APPLICANT UNDER EIGHTEEN 14 YEARS OF AGE, CHECKING "YES" SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE CONSENT TO MAKE AN 15 ANATOMICAL GIFT OR REGISTRATION IN THE DONATE LIFE REGISTRY. WHERE AN 16 APPLICANT HAS PREVIOUSLY CONSENTED TO MAKE AN ANATOMICAL GIFT OR REGIS- 17 TERED IN THE DONATE LIFE REGISTRY, CHECKING "SKIP THIS QUESTION" OR 18 FAILING TO CHECK A BOX SHALL NOT IMPAIR THAT CONSENT OR REGISTRATION. IN 19 ADDITION, THE COMMISSIONER ALSO SHALL REQUIRE THAT SPACE SHALL BE 20 PROVIDED ON THE APPLICATION SO THAT THE APPLICANT MAY REQUEST A NOTATION 21 UPON SUCH LICENSE THAT HE OR SHE IS A VETERAN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED 22 FORCES. IN ADDITION, AN APPLICANT FOR A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE WHO 23 WILL OPERATE A COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE SHALL 24 CERTIFY THAT SUCH APPLICANT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS TO OPERATE A COMMER- 25 CIAL MOTOR VEHICLE, AS SET FORTH IN PUBLIC LAW 99-570, TITLE XII, AND 26 TITLE 49 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AND ALL REGULATIONS PROMUL- 27 GATED BY THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION UNDER THE HAZARD- 28 OUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION ACT. IN ADDITION, AN APPLICANT FOR A 29 COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE SHALL SUBMIT A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AT SUCH 30 INTERVALS AS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY IMPROVEMENT 31 ACT OF 1999 AND PART 383.71(H) OF TITLE 49 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGU- 32 LATIONS RELATING TO MEDICAL CERTIFICATION AND IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY 33 THE COMMISSIONER. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION AND SECTIONS FIVE 34 HUNDRED THREE, FIVE HUNDRED TEN-A, AND FIVE HUNDRED TEN-AA OF THIS 35 TITLE, THE TERMS "MEDICAL CERTIFICATE" AND "MEDICAL CERTIFICATION" SHALL 36 MEAN A FORM SUBSTANTIALLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FORM SET FORTH IN PART 37 391.43(H) OF TITLE 49 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. UPON A DETER- 38 MINATION THAT THE HOLDER OF A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE HAS MADE ANY 39 FALSE STATEMENT, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION FOR SUCH LICENSE, THE 40 COMMISSIONER SHALL REVOKE SUCH LICENSE. 41 S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as 42 added by section one of this act, is amended to read as follows: 43 1. Application for license. Application for a driver's license shall 44 be made to the commissioner. The fee prescribed by law may be submitted 45 with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi- 46 ty, age, and fitness as may be required by the commissioner. Acceptable 47 proof of identity shall include, but not be limited to foreign passports 48 (visa stamps are not required), valid documentation issued by USCIS and 49 consular identification documents. Eligibility for a drivers' license 50 shall not be conditioned on a particular immigration status. The 51 commissioner may also provide that the application procedure shall 52 include the taking of a photo image or images of the applicant in 53 accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In 54 addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide 55 his or her social security number where such applicant is a legal immi- 56 grant, or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) or a letter S. 5444--A 3 1 or form from the United States social security administration that 2 states that the applicant is not eligible or submit a sworn statement 3 under the penalty of perjury, stating that the applicant does not have a 4 social security number of ITIN, and [shall] provide space on the appli- 5 cation so that the applicant may register in the New York state organ 6 and tissue donor registry under section forty-three hundred ten of the 7 public health law [with the following stated on the application in clear 8 and conspicuous type: 9 "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to be added 10 to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for 'yes' or 'skip this ques- 11 tion'." 12 The commissioner of the department of health shall not maintain 13 records of any person who checks "skip this question". Failure to check 14 a box shall not impair the validity of an application, and failure to 15 check "yes" or checking "skip this question" shall not be construed to 16 imply a wish not to donate. In the case of an applicant under eighteen 17 years of age, checking "yes" shall not constitute consent to make an 18 anatomical gift or registration in the donate life registry. When an 19 applicant has previously consented to make an anatomical gift or regis- 20 tered in the donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or 21 failing to check a box shall not impair that consent or registration]. 22 In addition, the commissioner also shall require that space shall be 23 provided on the application so that the applicant may request a notation 24 upon such license that he or she is a veteran of the United States armed 25 forces. In addition, an applicant for a commercial driver's license who 26 will operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce shall 27 certify that such applicant meets the requirements to operate a commer- 28 cial motor vehicle, as set forth in public law 99-570, title XII, and 29 title 49 of the code of federal regulations, and all regulations promul- 30 gated by the United States secretary of transportation under the hazard- 31 ous materials transportation act. In addition, an applicant for a 32 commercial driver's license shall submit a medical certificate at such 33 intervals as required by the federal motor carrier safety improvement 34 act of 1999 and Part 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regu- 35 lations relating to medical certification and in a manner prescribed by 36 the commissioner. For purposes of this section and sections five 37 hundred three, five hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this 38 title, the terms "medical certificate" and "medical certification" shall 39 mean a form substantially in compliance with the form set forth in Part 40 391.43(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations. Upon a deter- 41 mination that the holder of a commercial driver's license has made any 42 false statement, with respect to the application for such license, the 43 commissioner shall revoke such license. 44 S 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehicle and 45 traffic law, as amended by section 3 of part K of chapter 59 of the laws 46 of 2009, is amended to read as follows: 47 (a) A license issued pursuant to subdivision five of this section 48 shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless such 49 license is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed 50 by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by law, 51 proofs of prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by 52 the commissioner, the applicant's social security number, OR INDIVIDUAL 53 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (ITIN) OR A LETTER OR FORM FROM THE 54 UNITED STATES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION THAT STATES THAT THE APPLI- 55 CANT IS NOT ELIGIBLE OR SUBMIT A SWORN STATEMENT UNDER THE PENALTY OF 56 PERJURY, STATING THAT THE APPLICANT DOES NOT HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY S. 5444--A 4 1 NUMBER OR ITIN, and if required by the commissioner a photo image of the 2 applicant in such numbers and form as the commissioner shall prescribe. 3 In addition, an applicant for renewal of a license containing a hazard- 4 ous material endorsement shall pass an examination to retain such 5 endorsement. The commissioner shall, with respect to the renewal of a 6 hazardous materials endorsement, comply with the requirements imposed 7 upon states by sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the code of 8 federal regulations. A renewal of such license shall be issued by the 9 commissioner upon approval of such application, except that no such 10 license shall be issued if its issuance would be inconsistent with the 11 provisions of section five hundred sixteen of this title, and except 12 that the commissioner may refuse to renew such license if the applicant 13 is the holder of a currently valid or renewable license to drive issued 14 by another state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such 15 license. 16 S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 17 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this 18 act shall take effect October 3, 2016.