S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4152
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 31, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, LUNSFORD, REYES, WILLIAMS, BICHOTTE HERME-
   LYN,  SANTABARBARA, SMULLEN, BRABENEC, MANKTELOW, TAGUE, TAPIA, GIBBS,
   FALL, SAYEGH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LEVENBERG,  WOERNER  --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the state finance law, and
   the public health law, in relation  to  issuing  distinctive  epilepsy
   awareness  license  plates and establishing an epilepsy awareness fund
   and an epilepsy research and education program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  vehicle  and  traffic law is amended by adding a new
 section 404-ff to read as follows:
   § 404-FF. DISTINCTIVE "EPILEPSY  AWARENESS"  LICENSE  PLATES.  1.  ANY
 PERSON RESIDING IN THIS STATE SHALL UPON REQUEST BE ISSUED A DISTINCTIVE
 "EPILEPSY  AWARENESS"  LICENSE PLATE OF A DESIGN APPROVED BY THE COMMIS-
 SIONER. APPLICATION FOR SAID LICENSE  PLATE  SHALL  BE  FILED  WITH  THE
 COMMISSIONER   IN  SUCH  FORM  AND  DETAIL  AS  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 PRESCRIBE.
   2. A DISTINCTIVE PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ISSUED
 IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER PLATES UPON THE PAYMENT OF THE  REGU-
 LAR  REGISTRATION  FEE  PRESCRIBED  BY  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE OF THIS
 ARTICLE PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL SERVICE  CHARGE  OF
 TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS  SHALL  BE  CHARGED  FOR  SUCH  PLATES.  ALL MONIES
 RECEIVED AS THE ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEPOS-
 ITED TO THE CREDIT OF THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  "EPILEPSY  AWARENESS  FUND"
 ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-NINE-SS OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW
 AND SHALL BE USED FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNDERTAKEN  PURSU-
 ANT  TO  ARTICLE  TWENTY-SEVEN-CCCC  OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW. PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER THAT ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION FUNDS  IN
 THE  AMOUNT OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR SO MUCH THEREOF AS MAY BE AVAIL-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05055-01-5
 A. 4152                             2
              

 
 ABLE, SHALL BE ALLOCATED TO THE DEPARTMENT TO  OFFSET  COSTS  ASSOCIATED
 WITH THE PRODUCTION OF SUCH LICENSE PLATES.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to
 read as follows:
   §  99-SS.  THE  NEW  YORK STATE "EPILEPSY AWARENESS FUND". 1. THERE IS
 HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF  TAXATION
 AND  FINANCE  AND THE COMPTROLLER, A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE NEW
 YORK STATE "EPILEPSY AWARENESS FUND".
   2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES RECEIVED  PURSUANT  TO  THE
 PROVISIONS  OF  SECTION  FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-FF OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC
 LAW AND ALL OTHER MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED  THERETO
 FROM  ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN
 SHALL PREVENT THE STATE FROM RECEIVING GRANTS, GIFTS OR BEQUESTS FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO
 THE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
   3. MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL BE EXPENDED ONLY FOR EPILEPSY RESEARCH AND
 EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AS USED IN  THIS  SECTION,  "EPILEPSY  RESEARCH  AND
 EDUCATION  PROGRAMS"  MEANS  SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
 WHICH, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN-CCCC OF THE PUBLIC  HEALTH  LAW,
 ARE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
   4.  MONIES  SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF
 THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY  THE  COMMISSIONER
 OF HEALTH.
   5.  TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH SHALL ENSURE
 THAT ALL MONIES RECEIVED DURING A FISCAL YEAR ARE EXPENDED PRIOR TO  THE
 END OF THAT FISCAL YEAR.
   §  3. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 27-CCCC
 to read as follows:
                              ARTICLE 27-CCCC
                   EPILEPSY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM
 SECTION 2748. SPECIAL PROGRAMS WITH RESPECT TO EPILEPSY.
   § 2748. SPECIAL PROGRAMS WITH RESPECT TO  EPILEPSY.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL  ESTABLISH WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT A PROGRAM TO PROMOTE RESEARCH AND
 PATIENT EDUCATION REGARDING EPILEPSY. TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF  THIS
 SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL:
   1.  PROMOTE  SCIENTIFIC  INVESTIGATIONS  WITH  RESPECT  TO THE CAUSES,
 PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY;
   2. PROMOTE PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO RAISE  AWARENESS  OF
 EPILEPSY  AND  REDUCE OR PREVENT THE INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF SEIZURES.
 SUCH PATIENT  EDUCATION  PROGRAMS  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  INFORMATION  ON
 SEIZURE RECOGNITION AND FIRST AID;
   3.  ACCEPT  AND  EXPEND ANY GRANTS, AWARDS OR OTHER FUNDS OR APPROPRI-
 ATIONS AS MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR THESE PURPOSES SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS  AS
 TO  THE APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURES AND AUDIT AS PRESCRIBED FOR STATE FUNDS
 BY THE STATE FINANCE LAW; AND
   4. ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITHIN THE AMOUNTS AVAILABLE THEREFOR  AS  MAY
 BE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   §  4. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
 the vehicle and traffic law shall only be designed, produced and  issued
 upon  the  delivery to the department of motor vehicles of a surety bond
 in the amount of six thousand dollars, which  shall  be  executed  by  a
 surety  company  authorized  by  the department of financial services to
 transact business in this state. Provided, however, that if the  commis-
 sioner  of  motor  vehicles  shall  have received prior to plate design,
 production and issuance at least two hundred orders for such distinctive
 plate together with the additional annual service charge  applicable  to
 A. 4152                             3
 
 each  such  order,  which  shall  be non-refundable, no such surety bond
 shall be required.   All service  charges  collected  pursuant  to  this
 section  shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo
 of  the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor
 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section  95-g
 of  the  state finance law and shall be used for the design, production,
 advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance
 with such section 95-g.
   2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon  which
 distinctive  plates  in  the  series  are  first  available for sale two
 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered  pursuant
 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
 such  plates  are  sold  by  such time, the department of motor vehicles
 shall be entitled to recover against the bond in an amount proportionate
 to such shortfall.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
 sections  one, two, and three of this act shall take effect on the nine-
 tieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective  immediately,  the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.