NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7613

Senate Bill S7613

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Allows persons in recovery to have a distinguishing mark printed on their license for cases of medical emergencies

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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to transportation
Jul 26, 2023	referred to rules

2023-S7613 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1210
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §504, V & T L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: A9204

2023-S7613 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Allows persons in recovery to have a distinguishing mark printed on their driver's license for cases of medical emergencies.

2023-S7613 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7613

SPONSOR: ASHBY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to allowing
persons in recovery to have a distinguishing mark printed on their driv-
er's license for cases of medical emergencies

 
PURPOSE:

To provide an optional mechanism for medical emergencies, whereby a
person could be identified as a person in some form of drug or alcohol
recovery on their licenses.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 would amend section SO4 of the vehicle and traffic law by
adding paragraph(a-2), which would allow a person the option to add a
distinguishing mark on their licenses to identify as a person in recov-
ery. The distinguishing mark would be .a simple

 
JUSTIFICATION:

People in recovery work extremely hard to stay on the path of recovery;
however, life throws curveballs and medical emergencies happen, whether
car accidents, sports injuries, or something else. When someone in
recovery is rushed to the hospital, the last thing they want is to be
put on pain medicines that are difficult to wean off.  If medical
professionals can see on the patient's license that a person is in
recovery, they may be able to change the course of medicine administered
or have a plan in place. This legislation will embolden those individ-
uals who desire to take control of their medical future and be better
prepared for potential medical emergencies, by allowing them to simply
check a box on a form to have their license display an obscure "R" for
recovery.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: A.9204

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S7613 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7613
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               July 26, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ASHBY  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law,  in  relation  to  allowing
   persons  in  recovery  to  have a distinguishing mark printed on their
   driver's license for cases of medical emergencies

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 504 of the vehicle and traffic law
 is amended by adding a new paragraph (a-2) to read as follows:
   (A-2) EVERY LICENSE OR RENEWAL THEREOF ISSUED TO AN APPLICANT WHO OPTS
 TO  DISTINGUISH  AS  A PERSON IN RECOVERY SHALL, UPON HIS OR HER REQUEST
 AND SUBMISSION OF  AN  APPLICATION  FOR  RENEWAL  OR  ISSUANCE  OF  SUCH
 LICENSE,  CONTAIN A DISTINGUISHING MARK OF "R" INDICATING THAT HE OR SHE
 IS A PERSON IN RECOVERY. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL NOT REQUIRE FEES FOR THE
 ISSUANCE OF SUCH LICENSES OR RENEWALS THEREOF TO PERSONS  REQUESTING  AN
 "R"   DISTINGUISHING  MARK  WHICH  ARE  DIFFERENT  FROM  FEES  OTHERWISE
 REQUIRED. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A "PERSON IN RECOVERY" SHALL
 MEAN ANY PERSON WHO WOULD LIKE THEIR LICENSE TO  SPECIFY  FOR  CASES  OF
 MEDICAL  EMERGENCIES THAT SUCH PERSON IS IN SOME FORM OF DRUG OR ALCOHOL
 RECOVERY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04044-01-3

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