NY State Senate Bill 2019-S391

Senate Bill S391

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Requires applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to prove they have acceptable vision to operate a motor vehicle

download bill text pdf

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 09, 2019	referred to transportation

2019-S391 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §502, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S5904
2013-2014: S4140
2015-2016: S2851
2017-2018: S3542
2021-2022: S4568
2023-2024: S3086

2019-S391 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to prove they have acceptable vision to operate a motor vehicle.

2019-S391 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S391

SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to complete a vision
test

 
PURPOSE:

To require applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to submit
proof of acceptable vision to operate a motor vehicle.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the
vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 3 of part K of chapter 59
of the laws of 2009.

JUSTIFICATION:

This bill would codify New York State Department of Motor Vehicles poli-
cy to require people applying to renew their driver's license to certify
that they have adequate vision that would allow them to properly operate
a motor vehicle.

New York State has over 11 million licensed drivers on the road. If two
percent of those drivers failed an eye exam, that would translate into
hundreds of thousands of seeing impaired drivers on our roads statewide.

This bill will ensure an atmosphere that is safe for our motorists. It
is a common sense measure that will work to achieve those ends.

Such proof of acceptable vision shall require the applicant either to
take a vision test administered at a DMV office or submit a certif-
ication signed by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner,
optometrist or optician attesting that the applicant has adequate vision
to operate a motor vehicle.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018: S.3542 - Third Reading Calendar/A.6544 - Referred to Transporta-
tion
2017: S.3542 - Passed Senate/A.6544- Referred to Transportation
2016: S.2851 - Passed Senate
2015: S.2851 - Passed Senate
2014: S.4140 - Passed Senate/A.6172- Referred to Transportation
2012: S.5904 - Referred to Transportation/A.8803 - Referred to Transpor-
tation
2011: S.5904 - Referred to Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2019-S391 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    391
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in  relation  to  requiring
   applicants  for the renewal of a driver's license to complete a vision
   test

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehi-
 cle and traffic law, as amended by section 3 of part K of chapter 59  of
 the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  A  license  issued  pursuant  to subdivision five of this section
 shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless  such
 license  is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed
 by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by  law,
 proofs  of  prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by
 the  commissioner,  the  applicant's  social  security  number,  and  if
 required  by  the  commissioner  a  photo image of the applicant in such
 numbers and form as the commissioner shall prescribe.    SUCH  PROOF  OF
 ACCEPTABLE  VISION  SHALL  REQUIRE  THE  APPLICANT TO PASS A VISION TEST
 ADMINISTERED BY THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS OR HER AGENT,  OR  TO  SUBMIT  A
 CERTIFICATION, SIGNED BY A PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, NURSE PRACTI-
 TIONER,  OPTOMETRIST  OR  OPTICIAN,  ATTESTING  THAT  THE  APPLICANT HAS
 ADEQUATE VISION TO OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE AS DETERMINED BY THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER.  In addition, an applicant for renewal of a license containing a
 hazardous material endorsement shall pass an examination to retain  such
 endorsement.  The  commissioner  shall, with respect to the renewal of a
 hazardous materials endorsement, comply with  the  requirements  imposed
 upon  states  by sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the code of
 federal regulations. A renewal of such license shall be  issued  by  the
 commissioner  upon  approval  of  such  application, except that no such
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03496-01-9

 S. 391                              2
 
 license shall be issued if its issuance would be inconsistent  with  the
 provisions  of  section  five  hundred sixteen of this title, and except
 that the commissioner may refuse to renew such license if the  applicant
 is  the holder of a currently valid or renewable license to drive issued
 by another state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such
 license.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.

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