S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7549--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 2, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, GALEF, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred
   to  the Committee on Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on
   Transportation in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- 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  requiring
   the  pre-licensing  course  to include information on organ and tissue
   donation and how to register as an organ donor
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subparagraph  (i)  of  paragraph  (a) of subdivision 4 of
 section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 97  of
 the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   (i)  Upon  submission  of  an  application for a driver's license, the
 applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit  evidence
 of  passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the
 laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while  intoxicat-
 ed, under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", or "Work Zone Safe-
 ty"  awareness as defined by the commissioner, the law relating to exer-
 cising due care to avoid colliding with a parked,  stopped  or  standing
 authorized emergency vehicle or hazard vehicle pursuant to section elev-
 en hundred forty-four-a of this chapter, the ability to read and compre-
 hend traffic signs and symbols and such other matters as the commission-
 er  may prescribe, and to satisfactorily complete a course prescribed by
 the commissioner of not less than four hours  and  not  more  than  five
 hours,  consisting  of  classroom  driver  training  and  highway safety
 instruction or the equivalent thereof, AND SHALL ALSO  INCLUDE  INFORMA-
 TION ON ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AND HOW TO REGISTER AS AN ORGAN DONOR.
 Such  test shall include at least seven written questions concerning the
 effects of consumption of alcohol or drugs on the ability of a person to
 operate a motor vehicle and the legal and financial consequences result-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD11274-03-8

 A. 7549--A                          2
 
 ing from violations of section eleven hundred ninety-two of  this  chap-
 ter, prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influ-
 ence  of  alcohol  or drugs. Such test shall include one or more written
 questions concerning the devastating effects of "Road Rage" on the abil-
 ity  of  a person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and financial
 consequences resulting from assaulting, threatening or interfering  with
 the  lawful  conduct  of  another person legally using the roadway. Such
 test shall include  one  or  more  questions  concerning  the  potential
 dangers  to persons and equipment resulting from the unsafe operation of
 a motor vehicle in a work zone. Such test may include one or more  ques-
 tions concerning the law for exercising due care to avoid colliding with
 a parked, stopped or standing vehicle pursuant to section eleven hundred
 forty-four-a  of  this  chapter.  Such test shall be administered by the
 commissioner. The commissioner shall  cause  the  applicant  to  take  a
 vision  test  and a test for color blindness. Upon passage of the vision
 test, the application may be accepted and the application fee  shall  be
 payable.
   § 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 502
 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 355 of the laws of
 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   (i)  Upon  submission  of  an  application for a driver's license, the
 applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit  evidence
 of  passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the
 laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while  intoxicat-
 ed,  under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", "Work Zone Safety"
 awareness and "Motorcycle Safety" awareness as defined  by  the  commis-
 sioner,  the law relating to exercising due care to avoid colliding with
 a parked, stopped or standing authorized  emergency  vehicle  or  hazard
 vehicle pursuant to section eleven hundred forty-four-a of this chapter,
 the  ability  to  read and comprehend traffic signs and symbols and such
 other matters as the commissioner may prescribe, and  to  satisfactorily
 complete  a  course prescribed by the commissioner of not less than four
 hours and not more than  five  hours,  consisting  of  classroom  driver
 training  and  highway safety instruction or the equivalent thereof, AND
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AND  HOW  TO
 REGISTER  AS  AN  ORGAN  DONOR.   Such test shall include at least seven
 written questions concerning the effects of consumption  of  alcohol  or
 drugs  on  the  ability  of  a person to operate a motor vehicle and the
 legal and financial consequences resulting from  violations  of  section
 eleven  hundred ninety-two of this chapter, prohibiting the operation of
 a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such test
 shall include one or more written questions concerning  the  devastating
 effects  of  "Road  Rage"  on the ability of a person to operate a motor
 vehicle and the legal and financial consequences resulting from assault-
 ing, threatening or interfering  with  the  lawful  conduct  of  another
 person  legally  using  the roadway. Such test shall include one or more
 questions concerning the potential  dangers  to  persons  and  equipment
 resulting  from  the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle in a work zone.
 Such test may include one or more questions concerning motorcycle  safe-
 ty.  Such  test may include one or more questions concerning the law for
 exercising due care to avoid colliding with a parked, stopped or  stand-
 ing  vehicle  pursuant  to  section  eleven hundred forty-four-a of this
 chapter. Such test  shall  be  administered  by  the  commissioner.  The
 commissioner  shall cause the applicant to take a vision test and a test
 for color blindness. Upon passage of the vision  test,  the  application
 may be accepted and the application fee shall be payable.

 A. 7549--A                          3
 
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become  a  law;  provided,  however,
 that  if  chapter 355 of the laws of 2017 shall not have taken effect on
 or before such effective date, then section two of this act  shall  take
 effect  on  the  same  date and in the same manner as chapter 355 of the
 laws of 2017 takes effect.