BILL NUMBER:  S6082

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to prohibiting the parking or storing of a fully concealed
vehicle on a public street

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To enhance the safety on our streets and reduce the possibility of a
parked vehicle being used in an act of terrorism or for some other
criminal purpose.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one of the bill adds § 1229-e to the vehicle and traffic law
to prohibit the parking or storing of a fully concealed vehicle on a
public street. This section also defines "fully concealed vehicle" to
mean a vehicle covered with an opaque material where the license
plate, the vehicle identification number, vehicle registration and
other identifying information, and all the windows are not visible
from plain view. This legislation also subjects vehicles parked in
violation of this section to immediate towing and impounding to a
location where the safety concerns regarding the vehicle shall be
determined. In addition, this bill authorizes and empowers local
governing bodies to adopt a local option in order to impose a penalty
for a violation of this section, including the cost of the tow.
              

Furthermore, this bill provides for the release of the vehicle once
all its contents are determined to be of no safety threat and subject
to all sanctions imposed by local authorities being satisfied.

Section two provides the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

A motor vehicle is large enough to be used to store all kinds of
contraband and even equipment that can be used in acts of terrorism.
On May 1, 2010, two individuals saved New Yorkers from a potential
tragedy when they noticed smoke coming from the back seat of a parked
vehicle. Had the vehicle been covered with an opaque material, it is
very likely that the bomb could have exploded due to the concealment
preventing the smoke from being spotted early enough.

Every day in neighborhoods all over New York, vehicles are sometimes
parked and stored on public streets, totally wrapped with opaque
covering, hiding everything within the vehicle from plain view,
including in some cases, license plates and other important vehicle
identifying information. License plates and other identifying
information should always be visible on vehicles parked on public
streets to ensure that a vehicle sought in an Amber Alert or for use
in other criminal activity could be discovered if it is left parked on
a public street.

Allowing vehicles with opaque covering to park on a public street
increase the potential for it to be used in an act of terrorism.
Enactment of this legislation would greatly increase safety in our
community by prohibiting the parking of concealed vehicles on public
streets.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.