S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6392
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 18, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the real property  tax  law,  in  relation  to  enabling
   chiropractors  to certify disability; to amend the vehicle and traffic
   law, in relation to enabling chiropractors to certify  disability  for
   the  purpose  of  issuance of handicapped license plates and registra-
   tion; and to amend the education law, in relation to  enabling  chiro-
   practors  to  be employed by school districts to provide school health
   services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 459 of the real  property tax law,
 as  amended  by  chapter  265 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
 follows:
   2. To qualify as physically disabled for the purposes of this section,
 an individual shall submit to the assessor a certified statement from  a
 physician  OR  CHIROPRACTOR  licensed to practice in the state on a form
 prescribed and made available by the commissioner which states that  the
 individual  has  a  permanent  physical  impairment  which substantially
 limits one or more of such individual's major  life  activities,  except
 that an individual who has obtained a certificate from the state commis-
 sion  for  the  blind  stating that such individual is legally blind may
 submit such certificate in lieu of a physician's certified statement.
   § 2. Subdivision 4 and paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 404-a
 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 376 of the laws of
 2015, are amended to read as follows:
   4. Issue of plates. The commissioner shall issue  sets  of  plates  to
 such  person  in  accordance  with  subdivision two of this section with
 proof of such disability of such person or such members of  his  or  her
 family  certified  by  a physician, physician assistant, CHIROPRACTOR or
 nurse practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and consistent  with
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07759-01-3
              

 S. 6392                             2
 
 subdivision three of section six thousand nine hundred two of the educa-
 tion  law,  or podiatrist pursuant to subdivision four-a of this section
 or optometrist pursuant to subdivision four-b of this  section,  to  the
 satisfaction  of  the  commissioner  who  is  empowered to carry out the
 effects of this section by formulating rules and regulations.
   For the purposes of this section, a "severely disabled  person"  shall
 mean  any  person  having  any one or more of the following impairments,
 disabilities or conditions which are permanent in nature:
   (a) Has limited or no use of one or both lower limbs;
   (b) Has a neuro-muscular dysfunction which severely limits mobility;
   (c) Has a physical or mental impairment or condition  which  is  other
 than  those  specified above, but is of such nature as to impose unusual
 hardship in utilization of public  transportation  facilities  and  such
 condition  is  certified  by  a  physician, physician assistant or nurse
 practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and consistent with subdi-
 vision three of section six thousand nine hundred two of  the  education
 law,  duly  licensed to practice in this state, or, pursuant to subdivi-
 sion four-a of this section, a  podiatrist  duly  licensed  to  practice
 podiatry  in  this  state  or,  pursuant  to  subdivision four-b of this
 section, an optometrist duly licensed  to  practice  optometry  in  this
 state,  as  constituting  an  equal degree of disability (specifying the
 particular condition) so as to prevent such person from  getting  around
 without  great  difficulty  in  accordance  with subdivision two of this
 section; or
   (d) A blind person.
   (b) The commissioner may require the  applicant  for  registration  to
 furnish  such proof of his or her disability or such proof of disability
 of such members of his or her family from a physician, physician assist-
 ant, CHIROPRACTOR or nurse practitioner, to the extent authorized by law
 and consistent with subdivision  three  of  section  six  thousand  nine
 hundred  two of the education law, or podiatrist pursuant to subdivision
 four-a of this section or optometrist pursuant to subdivision four-b  of
 this  section,  as  the  commissioner deems necessary either for initial
 registration or renewal thereof; provided, however, that  a  handicapped
 or  disabled  permit issued by a municipality to such applicant pursuant
 to section twelve hundred three-a of this chapter shall be deemed suffi-
 cient proof of disability for purposes of this paragraph.
   § 3.  Subdivision 1 of section 902 of the education law, as amended by
 chapter 477 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
   1. As used in this article "health professionals" means  persons  duly
 licensed  or otherwise authorized to practice a health profession pursu-
 ant to applicable law, including, but not limited to, physicians, regis-
 tered professional nurses, nurse practitioners,  physicians  assistants,
 optometrists, dentists, dental hygienists, CHIROPRACTORS, dietitians and
 nutritionists, and audiologists.
   §  4.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.