NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7191

Senate Bill S7191

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to the registration of motor vehicles owned by the parent or guardian of a severely disabled person

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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 03, 2025	referred to transportation

2025-S7191 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §404-a, V & T L

2025-S7191 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the parent or guardian of a severely disabled person to register a motor vehicle used for transporting a person with disabilities.

2025-S7191 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7191

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the regis-
tration of motor vehicles owned by the parent or guardian of a severely
disabled person

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The opening paragraph of 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 and a new subdi-
vision 3-a of added to read as follows:

3-a. Registration of vehicles owned by the parent or guardian of a
severely disabled person. The commissioner shall assign to such motor
vehicles, including any van or pick-up truck used for transporting
persons with disabilities which is not used for commercial purposes and
which are owned by the parent of guardian of such person a distinctive
number and issue and deliver in such manner as the commissioner may
select to the owner a certification of registration, in such form as the

commissioner shall prescribe and two number plates, called disabled
person passenger plates. Such disabled person passenger plates shall
conform to the requirements of section four hundred one of this chapter,
but shall bear distinctive marks to distinguish them from number plates
to be issued to other persons, qualifying under this chapter. The
commissioner, in their discretion, may issue, for any registration year,
only one plate as a set for a motor vehicle, in which event a set of
disabled person plates for a motor vehicle shall consist of one plate.
Where the parent or guardian of a severely disabled person owns more
than one vehicle and such vehicle or vehicles is or are used for trans-
porting persons with disabilities, the commissioner shall issue one set
of plates for each additional vehicle used by such parent or guardian of
a severely disabled person.

The commissioner shall issue sets of plates to such persons in accord-
ance with subdivision two and subdivision three-a of this section with
proof of such disability of such person or such members of  
HIS OR HER
such person's family certified by a physician, physician assistant or
nurse practitioner. The commissioner shall issue sets of plates to such
person in accordance with subdivision three-a of this section with proof
of parenthood or guardianship of a severely disabled person including
but not limited to a birth certificate, foreign birth certificate,
adoption decree custody agreement, or consistent with article seven-
teen-a of the surrogate court procedure act, or article eight-three of
the mental hygiene law.

(b) The commissioner may require the applicant for registration to
furnish such proof of  
HIS OR HER' SUCH APPLICANT'S DISABILITY, SUCH
PROOF OF THE DISABILITY OF SUCH APPLICANT'S CHILD OF PERSON UNDER THEIR
GUARDIANSHIP, OR SUCH PROOF OF DISABILITY OF SUCH MEMBERS OF  
HIS OR
HER THEIR FAMILY FROM A PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR NURSE PRACTI-
TIONER, 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 OF 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 SUFFICIENT PROOF OF DISABILITY
FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH.

§ 2. RELATES TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

THE CURRENT LAW ONLY PERMITS THE USE OF A BLUE PLACARD HANGING FROM THE
REARVIEW MIRROR. THIS IS BOTH INADEQUATE AND IMPRACTICAL. OFTEN WHILE
ATTEMPTING TO FIND A PARKING SPOT DESIGNATED FOR HANDICAPPED INDIVID-
UALS, THERE ARE TOO FEW AVAILABLE, AND PARKING ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE
ELSEWHERE. WHEN USING A MIRROR-HANGING PLACARD IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES,
CHALLENGES ARISE WHEN REMOVING THE PERSON WITH DISABILITIES FROM A SIDE
OR REAR-ACCESS VEHICLE. TOO OFTEN, OTHER VEHICLES PARK TOO CLOSELY,
MAKING IT CHALLENGING TO GET THE DISABLED INDIVIDUAL BACK IN THE VEHI-
CLE. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS AND UNNECESSARY SITUATION FOR THE PARENT
OR GUARDIAN.

UPDATING THE LAW TO ALLOW CAREGIVERS OF SEVERELY DISABLED INDIVIDUALS TO
OBTAIN HANDICAP-MARKED LICENSE PLATES WOULD GREATLY REDUCE THE STRESS OF
THAT SITUATION AND OTHER DRIVERS WOULD MORE LIKELY RESPECT THE LICENSE
PLATE MARKINGS. THIS PROVIDES FOR A SIGNIFICANTLY SAFER EXPERIENCE FOR
BOTH THE DRIVER AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

NEW BILL.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT ON THE ONE HUNDRED TWENTIETH DAY AFTER IT
SHALL HAVE BECOME LAW.

2025-S7191 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7191
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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  the  regis-
   tration of motor vehicles owned by the parent or guardian of a severe-
   ly disabled person

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The opening paragraph of 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 and a new subdi-
 vision 3-a is added to read as follows:
   3-A.  REGISTRATION  OF  VEHICLES  OWNED BY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A
 SEVERELY DISABLED PERSON. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ASSIGN  TO  SUCH  MOTOR
 VEHICLES,  INCLUDING  ANY  VAN  OR  PICK-UP  TRUCK USED FOR TRANSPORTING
 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHICH IS NOT USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES  AND
 WHICH  ARE OWNED BY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF SUCH PERSON  A DISTINCTIVE
 NUMBER AND ISSUE AND DELIVER IN SUCH  MANNER  AS  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
 SELECT TO THE OWNER A CERTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION, IN SUCH FORM AS THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PRESCRIBE  AND  TWO  NUMBER PLATES, CALLED DISABLED
 PERSON PASSENGER PLATES. SUCH DISABLED  PERSON  PASSENGER  PLATES  SHALL
 CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE OF THIS CHAPTER,
 BUT  SHALL BEAR DISTINCTIVE MARKS TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM NUMBER PLATES
 TO BE ISSUED TO  OTHER  PERSONS,  QUALIFYING  UNDER  THIS  CHAPTER.  THE
 COMMISSIONER, IN THEIR DISCRETION, MAY ISSUE, FOR ANY REGISTRATION YEAR,
 ONLY  ONE    PLATE AS A SET FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, IN WHICH EVENT A SET OF
 DISABLED PERSON PLATES FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE SHALL CONSIST OF  ONE  PLATE.
 WHERE  THE  PARENT  OR  GUARDIAN OF A SEVERELY DISABLED PERSON OWNS MORE
 THAN ONE VEHICLE AND SUCH VEHICLE OR VEHICLES IS OR ARE USED FOR  TRANS-
 PORTING  PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ISSUE ONE SET
 OF PLATES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL VEHICLE USED BY SUCH PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF
 A SEVERELY DISABLED PERSON.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11343-01-5

 S. 7191                             2
 
   The commissioner shall issue sets of plates to such person in  accord-
 ance  with  subdivision two AND SUBDIVISION THREE-A of this section with
 proof of such disability of such person or such members of [his or  her]
 SUCH  PERSON'S  family  certified by a physician, physician assistant or
 nurse  practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and consistent with
 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.   THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL ISSUE SETS OF PLATES TO  SUCH  PERSON  IN  ACCORDANCE
 WITH  SUBDIVISION  THREE-A  OF  THIS SECTION WITH PROOF OF PARENTHOOD OR
 GUARDIANSHIP OF A SEVERELY DISABLED PERSON INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED  TO
 A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, FOREIGN BIRTH CERTIFICATE, ADOPTION DECREE, CUSTODY
 AGREEMENT,  OR  CONSISTENT WITH ARTICLE SEVENTEEN OF THE SURROGATE COURT
 PROCEDURE ACT, ARTICLE SEVENTEEN-A OF THE SURROGATE COURT PROCEDURE ACT,
 OR ARTICLE EIGHTY-THREE OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE LAW.
   (b) The commissioner may require the  applicant  for  registration  to
 furnish  such  proof  of  [his or her] SUCH APPLICANT'S disability, SUCH
 PROOF OF THE DISABILITY OF SUCH APPLICANT'S CHILD OR PERSON UNDER  THEIR
 GUARDIANSHIP,  or  such  proof  of disability of such members of [his or
 her] THEIR family from a physician, physician assistant or nurse practi-
 tioner, 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 sufficient proof  of  disability
 for purposes of this paragraph.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

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