S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4321
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. GALLAHAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to creating a
   series of distinctive license plates for law enforcement officers  who
   were  wounded in the line of duty; and to amend the state finance law,
   in relation to creating a wounded officers support fund
 
   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 PLATES FOR NEW YORK STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT  OFFI-
 CERS  WHO  WERE  INJURED  IN  THE LINE OF DUTY.   1. ANY OFFICER WHO WAS
 WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY OR THE SPOUSE OF  ANY  SUCH  OFFICER  SHALL,
 UPON  REQUEST,  BE  ISSUED A LICENSE PLATE CONTAINING THE SEAL OF ONE OF
 THE FOLLOWING FIVE POLICE ASSOCIATIONS: (A)  NEW  YORK  STATE  SHERIFF'S
 ASSOCIATION;  (B)  NEW  YORK  STATE ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE; (C)
 POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION OF THE NEW YORK STATE  TROOPERS;  (D)  THE
 NEW  YORK STATE POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION; AND (E) THE NEW YORK CITY
 POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION. ANY PLATE ISSUED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  ACT
 SHALL  BEAR THE WORDS "WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY". FOR THE PURPOSES OF
 THIS SECTION:
   I. "WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY" SHALL BE DEFINED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICER WHO HAS SUSTAINED PERSONAL INJURY, IN THE  INTELLIGENT  PERFORM-
 ANCE  OF  DUTY,  INFLICTED  BY  AN ASSAILANT WITH A DANGEROUS AND DEADLY
 WEAPON.
   II. ELIGIBILITY SHALL BE VERIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT WHO  EMPLOYED  THE
 OFFICER AT THE TIME OF INJURY AND SHALL BE REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   III.  IF  A  DISTINCTIVE  PLATE IS ISSUED TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, SUCH A DISTINCTIVE PLATE SHALL NOT  BE  ISSUED
 TO THE SPOUSE OF SUCH OFFICER.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05552-01-5
 A. 4321                             2
              

 
   IV.  THE  APPLICATION  FOR  SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE
 COMMISSIONER IN SUCH FORM AND DETAIL AS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   2.  THE  DISTINCTIVE  PLATE  AUTHORIZED  UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE ISSUED UPON PROOF, SATISFACTORY  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER,
 THAT  THE  APPLICANT OR THE SPOUSE OF THE APPLICANT IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICER WHO WAS WOUNDED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
   3.  (A) A DISTINCTIVE PLATE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  SHALL  BE
 ISSUED IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER PLATES UNDER THIS ARTICLE UPON
 THE  PAYMENT OF THE REQUIRED REGISTRATION FEE PRESCRIBED BY SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED ONE OF THIS ARTICLE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT AN ADDITIONAL ANNU-
 AL SERVICE CHARGE OF TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS  SHALL  BE  CHARGED  FOR  SUCH
 PLATES.    SUCH ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE SHALL BE DEPOSITED PURSUANT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-OO OF THIS ARTICLE, TO THE CRED-
 IT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR  VEHICLES  DISTINCTIVE  PLATE  DEVELOPMENT
 FUND ESTABLISHED BY SECTION NINETY-FIVE-G OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   (B) MONEYS FROM SUCH DEPOSIT SHALL BE USED FOR THE PRODUCTION, DESIGN,
 ADVERTISING,  AND  MARKETING  OF  DISTINCTIVE LICENSE PLATES PURSUANT TO
 SECTION NINETY-FIVE-G OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,  THAT
 ANNUAL  SERVICE  CHARGES  COLLECTED IN EXCESS OF SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS BE
 DEPOSITED TO THE "WOUNDED OFFICERS SUPPORT FUND" OR  "THE  FUND"  ESTAB-
 LISHED BY SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-ZZZZ OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   (C)  MONEYS  FROM THE FUND WILL BE DIRECTED FOR PURPOSES DEEMED APPRO-
 PRIATE BY THE FIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATIONS AS LONG AS THE FUNDS ARE
 USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING  WOUNDED  OR  FALLEN  LAW  ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
   §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-zzzz
 to read as follows:
   § 97-ZZZZ. WOUNDED OFFICERS SUPPORT FUND.  1. THERE IS  HEREBY  ESTAB-
 LISHED  IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE
 AND THE COMPTROLLER, A SPECIAL  FUND  KNOWN  AS  THE  "WOUNDED  OFFICERS
 SUPPORT FUND" OR "THE 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 OTHER MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM
 ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.
   3.  NOTHING  CONTAINED  IN  THIS  SECTION 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
 THE LAW.
   4. MONEYS OF THE FUND SHALL  BE  EXPENDED  FOR  THE  SOLE  PURPOSE  OF
 SUPPORTING  WOUNDED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS WELL
 AS THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THIS INCLUDES BUT IS
 NOT LIMITED TO PROVIDING: MEDICAL TREATMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH  COUNSELING,
 HOME  ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, SERVICE ANIMALS, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS,
 AND FUNERAL SERVICES.
   5. MONEYS OF THE FUND SHALL BE USED SOLELY FOR  THE  WOUNDED  OFFICERS
 SUPPORT FUND AND MAY NOT BE DIVERTED INTO ANY GENERAL FUND.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.