NY State Senate Bill 2019-S2951

Senate Bill S2951

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Requires the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reciprocity of driver licenses

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to transportation
Jan 31, 2019	referred to transportation

co-Sponsors

2019-S2951 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6649
2023-2024: S4329

2019-S2951 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reciprocity of driver's licenses.

2019-S2951 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S2951

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to
enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reci-
procity of driver licenses

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into
a driver license reciprocity agreement with the Republic of China
(Taiwan).

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: This bill requires New York State and the Republic of China
(Taiwan) to enter into a drivers' license reciprocity agreement.
Section 2: The commissioner of motor vehicles and the Republic of China
(Taiwan) through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications

represented by the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States shall enter into an agreement
for reciprocity in issuing driver licenses to citizens from NYS residing
in Taiwan and to the Taiwanese citizens residing in NYS. Both parties
will agree on the reciprocal provision for issuance and skills. Both
parties shall agree that a holder of a valid, unexpired license residing
of the state of New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan),
will be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at
a nominal conversion fee, without being require to pass the theoretical
and practical test and vice versa. If the license is expired, all tests
will be required. Section 3: Both parties shall agree on: 1. Each party
shall provide sample of driver licenses issued at time of the agreement
and definition of all classes of driver licenses, notations and
restrictions. 2. A practical driving test and/or medical documentation
attesting to physical or mental capabilities shall only be required in
situations where the driving examiner has cause to believe that the
person concerned is physical or mentally not qualified to operate a
motor vehicle 3. This agreement only applies to holders of unrestricted
driver licenses aged 18 or older and shall not apply to applications for
driver licenses for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle or
motorcycle 4. The standards, rules and regulations shall be the same as
for any resident of the state of NY and/or the Republic of China
(Taiwan) 5. The new driver license shall be issued after processing the
application for the driver license and the original shall be returned to
the applicant once the new one is issued. 6. When technically possible,
each side shall agree to verify if the driver license is still valid in
the state it was issued.  Section 4: This agreement shall be signed by
both the commissioner of motor vehicles of NYS and the Representative of
the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative office in the United
States and may be canceled or revoked in writing by either party at any
time and for any reason with three months' notice provided that notifi-
cation is sent to the address provided by the parties in agreement.
Section 5: The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement
and present such agreement to the Representatives of the Taipei Economic
Cultural Representatives office in the United States within 90 days of
the date this act shall have become law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, there are 16 states - MA, MD, DE, ID, WA, OR, SC, AL, AR, OK,
TX, MS, FL, PR (Puerto Rico), AZ and PA - that have entered into such
agreements with Taiwan. By entering into a driver license reciprocity
agreement, New York State's Department of Transportation and the Repub-
lic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Transportation and Commu-
nications, would agree to recognize and exchange valid driver's licenses
issue by the other's jurisdiction.  The benefit for New York State for
Taiwanese businessmen, researchers, students and so on to get a New York
State license would be the increase of mobility in the State which in
turns is a direct benefit to the economic development of New York State.
The licensing and skill requirements necessary to become licensed in
each jurisdiction are comparable - ensuring that Taiwanese license hold-
ers would meet the same rules and regulations and high standards as New
York driver license holders and vice versa. Thus, guaranteeing the safe-
ty of our roadways.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.11285 of 2018

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S2951 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2951
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to
   enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for  reci-
   procity of driver licenses

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The commissioner of motor  vehicles  shall  enter  into  an
 agreement  with  the  Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Ministry of
 Transportation and Communications represented by the Director General of
 the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York for  reciprocity  in
 issuing  driver licenses to citizens from the state of New York residing
 in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to the Taiwanese citizens residing
 in the state of New  York.  The  parties  shall  agree  that  reciprocal
 provisions  for issuance and skills to acquire a driver license shall be
 applicable in New York and in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
   § 2. The parties shall agree that a holder of a valid  driver  license
 of  the  state  of  New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan),
 shall be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at
 the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge
 and road test. Correspondingly, a holder of  a  valid  Taiwanese  driver
 license  lawfully  residing  in the state of New York, who is not exempt
 from licensing requirements under the vehicle and traffic law, shall  be
 able  to  exchange a Taiwanese license for a license in the state of New
 York at the nominal conversion fee, without being required to  pass  the
 knowledge and road test.
   §  3.  The  state of New York, through the commissioner of motor vehi-
 cles, and the Republic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Trans-
 portation and Communications, shall agree on the following:
   1. Each party to  this  agreement  shall  provide  samples  of  driver
 licenses  (or  copies  thereof) issued at the time of this agreement and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD07620-01-9

 S. 2951                             2
 
 thereafter, as well as a definition of all classes of  driver  licenses,
 notations and restrictions;
   2.  This  agreement shall only apply to holders of unrestricted driver
 licenses aged 18 or older and shall not apply to applications for driver
 licenses for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle.
   3. For the decision on the issuance of  a  driver  license,  the  same
 standards, rules and regulations as for any resident of the state of New
 York and/or the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall apply.
   4.  Each  side  shall  agree  to verify whether the driver still has a
 valid driver license of the state in which  he  or  she  was  originally
 licensed.
   §  4.  The agreement shall be signed by both the commissioner of motor
 vehicles of the state of New York and the Director General of the Taipei
 Economic and Cultural office in New York and may be cancelled or revoked
 in writing by either party at any time and for  any  reason  with  three
 months  notice  provided  that notification shall be sent to the address
 provided by the parties in the agreement.
   § 5. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement  and
 present  such  agreement  to the Director General of the Taipei Economic
 and Cultural office in New York within ninety days of the date this  act
 shall have become a law.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S2951

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Sponsored By

Luis R. Sepúlveda