Senator Malcolm Smith's Bill To Commemorate September 11th Is Passed By The Senate Transportation Committee

          Senator Malcom A. Smith (D-Queens) announced today his bill creating a "September eleventh, two thousand one remembrance" license plate program has been passed by the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill is now being reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee.

         "The purpose of this bill is to commemorate all of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by authorizing the issuance of a scholarship fund, a pool of permanency, through the vehicle of distinctive commemorative license plates. The passing of this bill by the Transportation Committee is no small victory, as many New Yorker’s are still living with the repercussions of that tragic day," said Senator Smith.

          According to the Queens lawmaker, a significant portion of the cost of the license plates will be used to provide scholarship money. The scholarship program, entitled "the September eleventh, two thousand one Scholarship Fund," was created for children who lost an immediate family member in the World Trade Center attacks. The annual fee for these license plates will be $25.00, with $20.00 from every plate being deposited into the "September eleventh, two thousand one Scholarship Fund."

         "This program is a simple way to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 in two real ways. Not only will you be honoring those victims by purchasing and displaying a commemorative license plate, but you will also be contributing to a higher education scholarship fund for their families. It is a great way for everyone to do something positive in the wake a tragedy," Senator Smith said. "I hope that the remembrance license plate and the scholarship money will provide some small comfort to the families who lost loved ones due to the World Trade Center attacks. By commemorating the victims of that day, New Yorkers are saying that we have not forgotten and we will help those deeply and personally affected to move forward," said Senator Smith.

For more information interested individuals can contact the Senator’s Albany office at 518-455-2195.