STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6440 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to registration and special plates for severely disabled veterans The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 404-a of the vehicle and traffic 2 law, as amended by chapter 445 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read 3 as follows: 4 3. Registration of vehicles owned by severely disabled veterans. The 5 commissioner shall assign to such motor vehicles, including any vans or 6 pick-up trucks used for transporting handicapped veterans which are not 7 used for commercial purposes and which are owned by such veterans or a 8 not-for-profit corporation serving such veterans, a distinctive number 9 and issue and deliver in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe 10 to the owner a certification of registration, in such form as the 11 commissioner shall prescribe and two number plates, called disabled 12 veteran plates. Said severely disabled veteran plates shall conform to 13 the requirements of section four hundred one of this article, but shall 14 bear distinctive marks to distinguish them from number plates to be 15 issued to other persons, qualifying under this article. The commissioner 16 [in his discretion,] may exercise the discretion to issue, for any 17 registration year, only one plate as a set for a motor vehicle, in which 18 event a set of severely disabled veteran plates for a motor vehicle 19 shall consist of one plate. Where a severely disabled veteran owns more 20 than one vehicle and such vehicle or vehicles is or are used by severely 21 disabled members of the owner's family who reside with the owner, the 22 commissioner shall issue one set of plates for each additional vehicle 23 used by such severely disabled veteran, provided that such user quali- 24 fies as a severely disabled veteran in the manner required by this 25 section. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "severely disabled EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10520-01-5
A. 6440 2 1 veteran" shall mean [a veteran as defined in section eighty-five of the 2 civil service law,] any member of the armed forces of the United States 3 who served and was honorably discharged or released under conditions 4 other than dishonorable discharge from such service, and whose disabili- 5 ty qualifies [him] such person as a severely disabled person within the 6 meaning of such term as defined in subdivision four of this section; or 7 who was rated sixty percent or more disabled by the United States 8 department of veterans affairs. 9 § 2. Section 404-a of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding 10 a new subdivision 6-a to read as follows: 11 6-a. Fee exemptions for severely disabled veterans. Notwithstanding 12 subdivision six of this section and the fees prescribed or permitted by 13 section four hundred one of this article, there shall be no charge for 14 the issuance of a number plate pursuant to this section to a severely 15 disabled veteran, nor shall there be imposed an additional service 16 charge for the issuance of such plate to a severely disabled veteran. 17 Furthermore, upon the issuance of a distinctive plate pursuant to this 18 section, such severely disabled veteran shall be exempt from the payment 19 of any fees relating to the registration or renewal thereof as 20 prescribed by section four hundred one of this article. 21 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 22 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.