S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8880--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 26, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --  commit-
   tee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 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-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13211-04-2
 S. 8880--A                          2
 
 CLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER BLOCK AND DENIAL SHALL ONLY REMAIN IN EFFECT
 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.
   § 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.