BILL NUMBER:S105

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to registration of
certain motor vehicles

PURPOSE:
To remove the maximum weight cap on vehicles for disabled
veterans currently exempt from motor vehicle registration fees.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Removes the maximum gross weight cap for disabled veterans'
vehicles currently exempt from registration fees.

Section 2. Enacting clause.

EXISTING LAW:
Disabled veterans' vehicles exempt from registration fees have a
maximum weight cap of sixty-five hundred pounds, well below the weight
of vehicles like the Chevrolet Express, Ford E Van, and the Dodge Ram
Van.

JUSTIFICATION:
According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2010,
about 2.8 million or 13% of all veterans reported service-connected
              

disabilities. While not all of these disabilities were physical, this
statistic underscores the need to ensure that these men and women are
able to enjoy the mobility necessary to maintain employment and
participate in society. For this reason, New York State long ago made
the choice to exempt disabled veterans from vehicle registration
fees, decreasing the overall cost of access to mobility.

Unfortunately, the Vehicle and Traffic Law currently has a cap on the
maximum weight of 6,500 pounds for disabled veterans' passenger cars
exempt from motor vehicle registration fees. This is a problem
because individuals with disabilities often require larger motor
vehicles. This means larger minivans, sports utility vehicles, or
pickup trucks, which have larger doors and are better able to
accommodate ramps or lifts and promote access. These modifications
also contribute to more weight on the vehicles.

This portion of law was last updated in 1983 - close to three decades
ago, when cars were smaller, had less powerful motors, and much lower
overall weight. Today, most larger or heavy duty vehicles are over
the 6,500 gross weight mark. For instance, the Ford F-150 is 8,800
pounds, the Dodge Ram ST is 6,700 pounds, and the Chevy 1500LS is
6,800 pounds, all well above the weight cap. And this is without any
disability modifications.

Disabled veterans may purchase these vehicles expecting to be exempt
from registration fees, only to find that they must pay additional
money out-of-pocket. This is a disservice to men and women that have
given more than most in the line of duty. For this reason, this
legislation lifts the aforementioned registration fee exemption
weight cap entirely.


LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2011-12: S.6067 Referred to Transportation

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.