NY State Senate Bill 2021-S5509

Senate Bill S5509

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires the pre-licensing course to operate a motor vehicle to include information on organ and tissue donation and how to register as an organ donor

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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to transportation returned to senate died in assembly
May 03, 2021	referred to transportation delivered to assembly passed senate
Apr 26, 2021	advanced to third reading
Apr 21, 2021	2nd report cal.
Apr 20, 2021	1st report cal.711
Mar 09, 2021	referred to transportation

Votes

- May 3, 2021 - Floor Vote
  S5509
  
  63
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: May 3, 2021
      
      aye (63)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Akshar
      
      Bailey
      
      Benjamin
      
      Biaggi
      
      Borrello
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brooks
      
      Brouk
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Felder
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gaughran
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Jordan
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kaplan
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martucci
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rath III
      
      Reichlin-Melnick
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serino
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Weik
  Apr 20, 2021 - Transportation Committee Vote
  S5509
  
  13
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Transportation Committee Vote: Apr 20, 2021
      
      aye (13)
      
      Cooney
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kaplan
      
      Kennedy
      
      Liu
      
      Mattera
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Reichlin-Melnick
      
      Serino
      
      Skoufis

co-Sponsors

2021-S5509 (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:: 2015-2016: S7504
2017-2018: S5781
2019-2020: S5368
2023-2024: S2739

2021-S5509 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the pre-licensing course to operate a motor vehicle to include information on organ and tissue donation and how to register as an organ donor.

2021-S5509 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5509

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

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

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would include information about organ and tissue donation and
about how to register as an organ donor in the course required in order
receiving a New York State driver's license.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of
section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 57 of
the laws of 2016 to read as follows: 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 intoxicate, under the overpowering influence of "road
rage", or "work zone safety" and 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 matters as the commissioner of riot 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
registeròas an organ donor.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There are currently over 10,000 candidates waiting for organ donations
in New York State and every year over 3,000 candidates are added to the
waiting list. The supply of available organs falls well short of meeting
the needs of these candidates, and New York is working to educate people
and increase the number of people registered as organ donors. One of the
more successful efforts to increase donation consent rates has been
Lauren's Law which provides an opportunity to register as a donor as
part of a Department of Motor Vehicle application for a driver's
license. Becoming a licensed driver already requires that an applicant
take a 5 hour course on various aspects of driving and this bill
requires that the course include information on organ and tissue
donation and how to register.  Including this information as part of the
driving course is appropriate and justified so that people become more
familiar and knowledgeable about this important issue and decision.
This bill seeks to bolster the number of .registered organ donors among
New York state drivers by creating greater awareness of the registration
process and the vital role organ donation plays in saving the lives of
others.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2015-2016: A10338- Referred to Transportation

2017: A.7549 - Referred to Transportation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 1st after enactment.

2021-S5509 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5509
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- 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
   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 513 of
 the laws of 2019, 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, "School Bus Safety" awareness, the law  relating  to  exercising
 due  care  to avoid colliding with a parked, stopped or standing author-
 ized 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, prohib-
 iting the operation of a motor vehicle  while  under  the  influence  of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD10112-01-1

 S. 5509                             2
 
 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 conse-
 quences  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 questions
 concerning motorcycle safety. 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 may include one or more ques-
 tions concerning school bus safety. 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. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S5509

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Leroy Comrie