S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10711
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             September 9, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Solages) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation  to  increasing
   the penalties for purposefully obstructed license plates
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 5-a of section 401 of the vehicle  and  traffic
 law is amended by adding a new paragraph d to read as follows:
   D. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO REGISTER, REREGISTER, RENEW,
 REPLACE  OR TRANSFER THE REGISTRATION, CHANGE THE NAME, ADDRESS OR OTHER
 INFORMATION OF THE REGISTERED OWNER, OR CHANGE THE REGISTRATION  CLASSI-
 FICATION  OF  ANY VEHICLE WHOSE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS ASSOCI-
 ATED WITH A VEHICLE WHOSE REGISTRATION HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, OR IS SUBJECT
 TO A PENDING REQUEST FROM A TOLLING AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND  THE  REGISTRA-
 TION, UNDER PARAGRAPH D OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TEN
 OF THIS CHAPTER AND 15 NYCRR 127.14. THE COMMISSIONER OR THE COMMISSION-
 ER'S  AGENT  SHALL IMPOSE A VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER BLOCK AND DENY
 THE REGISTRATION, REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT  OR  TRANSFER  OF
 THE  REGISTRATION  FOR  SUCH  VEHICLE  AND VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
 UNTIL THE TOLLING AUTHORITY ADVISES, IN SUCH  FORM  AND  MANNER  AS  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PRESCRIBE,  THAT  NOTICES  OF  VIOLATION  HAVE BEEN
 RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
 THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO  THE
 TOLLING AUTHORITY. WHERE AN APPLICATION IS DENIED PURSUANT TO THIS PARA-
 GRAPH,  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY, IN THE COMMISSIONER'S DISCRETION, DENY A
 REGISTRATION, REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR  TRANSFER  OF  THE
 REGISTRATION  FOR  ANY OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
 APPLICANT WHERE THE COMMISSIONER HAS DETERMINED THAT  SUCH  REGISTRANT'S
 INTENT  HAS  BEEN  TO EVADE THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH AND WHERE THE
 COMMISSIONER HAS REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE THAT  SUCH  REGISTRATION,
 REREGISTRATION,  RENEWAL,  REPLACEMENT  OR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION WILL
 HAVE THE EFFECT OF DEFEATING THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH. SUCH  VEHI-
 CLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER BLOCK AND DENIAL SHALL ONLY REMAIN IN EFFECT
 UNTIL THE TOLLING AUTHORITY ADVISES, IN SUCH  FORM  AND  MANNER  AS  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13211-05-2
 A. 10711                            2
 
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PRESCRIBE,  THAT  NOTICES  OF  VIOLATION  HAVE BEEN
 RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
 THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO  THE
 TOLLING AUTHORITY.
   §  2.  Subdivision 8 of section 402 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 amended by chapter 451 of the laws  of  2021,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   8.  A  violation  of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not
 less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, except  that  a
 violation of subparagraph (ii) or subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of
 subdivision  one  of  this  section shall be punishable by a fine of not
 less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars.   A POLICE  OFFICER
 AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER ACTING
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL SEIZE AND CONFISCATE ANY COVERING AFFIXED
 OVER THE NUMBER PLATES WHICH OBSCURES THE ABILITY TO  EASILY  READ  SUCH
 NUMBER  PLATES AND IS MADE OF GLASS OR ANY PLASTIC MATERIAL, EXCEPT THAT
 A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS AND  THE
 OWNER  OF  THE VEHICLE WHO SUCH NUMBER PLATES WERE ISSUED SHALL HAVE ONE
 WEEK FROM THE DATE SUCH VIOLATION IS ISSUED TO REMOVE ANY ARTIFICIAL  OR
 SYNTHETIC  MATERIAL  OR  SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR OBSCURES SUCH NUMBER
 PLATES OR TO PURCHASE NEW NUMBER PLATES.
   § 3. Section 510 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 4-h to read as follows:
   4-H. SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION FOR FAILURE TO  COMPLY  WITH  REMOVING
 ANY  ARTIFICIAL  OR  SYNTHETIC  MATERIAL  OR  SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR
 OBSCURES NUMBER PLATES OR THE PURCHASE OF NEW NUMBER PLATES.   UPON  THE
 RECEIPT  OF  A  NOTIFICATION  FROM A COURT OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
 THAT AN OWNER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION EIGHT
 OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS  OR
 HER  AGENT SHALL SUSPEND THE REGISTRATION OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE
 VIOLATION AND SUCH SUSPENSION SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME  AS
 THE COMMISSIONER IS ADVISED THAT THE OWNER OF SUCH VEHICLE HAS SATISFIED
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH SUBDIVISION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made on or before such date.