NY State Senate Bill 2023-S3086

Senate Bill S3086

2023-2024 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

Current 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 03, 2024	referred to transportation
Jan 27, 2023	referred to transportation

2023-S3086 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3707
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
2019-2020: S391
2021-2022: S4568, A6557

2023-S3086 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2023-S3086 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S3086

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 a physician, physician a DMV office or submit a
certification signed by assistant, nurse practitioner, optometrist or
optician has adequate vision to operate a motor vehicle attesting that
the applicant has adequate vision to operate a motor vehicle.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S.4568- Referred to Transportation/A.6557 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2021: S.4568- Referred to Transportation/A.6557 - Referred to Transpor-
tation

2020: S.391- Referred to Transportation

2019: S.391- Referred to Transportation

2018: S.3542- 3rd Reading Calendar/A.6544 - Referred to Transportation

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.

2023-S3086 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3086
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 27, 2023
                                ___________
 
 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 chapter 37 of the laws  of  2019,  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  or,  in  lieu
 thereof,  with  respect  to an application for a non-commercial driver's
 license or learner's permit which does not meet  federal  standards  for
 identification, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not
 been issued a social security number, and if required by the commission-
 er,  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 COMMIS-
 SIONER OR HIS OR HER AGENT, OR TO SUBMIT A CERTIFICATION,  SIGNED  BY  A
 PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, NURSE PRACTITIONER, OPTOMETRIST OR OPTI-
 CIAN,  ATTESTING  THAT  THE  APPLICANT  HAS ADEQUATE VISION TO OPERATE A
 MOTOR VEHICLE AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER. In addition, an  appli-
 cant  for  renewal of a license containing a hazardous material endorse-
 ment shall pass an examination to retain such endorsement.  The  commis-
 sioner  shall,  with  respect  to  the  renewal of a hazardous materials
 endorsement,  comply  with  the  requirements  imposed  upon  states  by
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07500-01-3

 S. 3086                             2
 
 sections  383.141  and  1572.13 of title 49 of the code of federal regu-
 lations. A renewal of such license shall be issued by  the  commissioner
 upon  approval of such application, except that no such 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  commis-
 sioner  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.

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.