STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6188 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO -- 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 issuance of driver's licenses and emergency medical personnel designation; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic 2 law is REPEALED and a new subdivision 1 is added to read as follows: 3 1. Application for license. Application for a driver's license shall 4 be made to the commissioner. The fee prescribed by law may be submitted 5 with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi- 6 ty, age, and fitness as may be required by the commissioner. Acceptable 7 proof of identity shall include, but not be limited to foreign passports 8 (visa stamps are not required), valid documentation issued by USCIS and 9 consular identification documents. Eligibility for a driver's license 10 shall not be conditioned on a particular immigration status. The commis- 11 sioner may also provide that the application procedure shall include the 12 taking of a photo image or images of the applicant in accordance with 13 rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In addition, the 14 commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide their social 15 security number where such applicant is a legal immigrant, or individual 16 taxpayer identification number (ITIN) or a letter or form from the 17 United States social security administration that states that the appli- 18 cant is not eligible or submit a sworn statement under the penalty of 19 perjury, stating that the applicant does not have a social security 20 number or ITIN, and shall provide space on the application so that the 21 applicant may register in the New York state organ and tissue donor 22 registry under section forty-three hundred ten of the public health law EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10597-01-5
S. 6188 2 1 with the following stated on the application in clear and conspicuous 2 type: 3 "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to be added 4 to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for 'yes' or 'skip this ques- 5 tion'." 6 The commissioner of the department of health shall not maintain 7 records of any person who checks "skip this question". Failure to check 8 a box shall not impair the validity of an application, and failure to 9 check "yes" or checking "skip this question" shall not be construed to 10 imply a wish not to donate. In the case of an applicant under eighteen 11 years of age, checking "yes" shall not constitute consent to make an 12 anatomical gift or registration in the donate life registry. Where an 13 applicant has previously consented to make an anatomical gift or regis- 14 tered in the donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or 15 failing to check a box shall not impair that consent or registration. In 16 addition, the commissioner also shall require that space shall be 17 provided on the application so that the applicant may request a notation 18 upon such license that such applicant is a veteran of the United States 19 armed forces and space so that the applicant may request a notation upon 20 such license that they are emergency medical personnel. In addition, an 21 applicant for a commercial driver's license who will operate a commer- 22 cial motor vehicle in interstate commerce shall certify that such appli- 23 cant meets the requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle, as 24 set forth in public law 99-570, title XII, and title 49 of the code of 25 federal regulations, and all regulations promulgated by the United 26 States secretary of transportation under the hazardous materials trans- 27 portation act. In addition, an applicant for a commercial driver's 28 license shall submit a medical certificate at such intervals as required 29 by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part 30 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations relating to 31 medical certification and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. 32 For purposes of this section and sections five hundred three, five 33 hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this title, the terms "medical 34 certificate" and "medical certification" shall mean a form substantially 35 in compliance with the form set forth in Part 391.43(h) of title 49 of 36 the code of federal regulations. Upon a determination that the holder of 37 a commercial driver's license has made any false statement, with respect 38 to the application for such license, the commissioner shall revoke such 39 license. 40 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as 41 added by section one of this act, is amended to read as follows: 42 1. Application for license. Application for a driver's license shall 43 be made to the commissioner. The fee prescribed by law may be submitted 44 with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi- 45 ty, age, and fitness as may be required by the commissioner. Acceptable 46 proof of identity shall include, but not be limited to foreign passports 47 (visa stamps are not required), valid documentation issued by USCIS and 48 consular identification documents. Eligibility for a driver's license 49 shall not be conditioned on a particular immigration status. The 50 commissioner may also provide that the application procedure shall 51 include the taking of a photo image or images of the applicant in 52 accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In 53 addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide 54 [their] such applicant's social security number where such applicant is 55 a legal immigrant, or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) 56 or a letter or form from the United States social security adminis-
S. 6188 3 1 tration that states that the applicant is not eligible or submit a sworn 2 statement under the penalty of perjury, stating that the applicant does 3 not have a social security number or ITIN, and [shall] provide space on 4 the application so that the applicant may register in the New York state 5 organ and tissue donor registry under section forty-three hundred ten of 6 the public health law [with the following stated on the application in 7 clear and conspicuous type: 8 "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to be added 9 to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for 'yes' or 'skip this ques- 10 tion'." 11 The commissioner of the department of health shall not maintain 12 records of any person who checks "skip this question". Failure to check 13 a box shall not impair the validity of an application, and failure to 14 check "yes" or checking "skip this question" shall not be construed to 15 imply a wish not to donate. In the case of an applicant under eighteen 16 years of age, checking "yes" shall not constitute consent to make an 17 anatomical gift or registration in the donate life registry. When an 18 applicant has previously consented to make an anatomical gift or regis- 19 tered in the donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or 20 failing to check a box shall not impair that consent or registration]. 21 In addition, the commissioner also shall require that space shall be 22 provided on the application so that the applicant may request a notation 23 upon such license that such applicant is a veteran of the United States 24 armed forces and space so that the applicant may request a notation upon 25 such license that they are emergency medical personnel. In addition, an 26 applicant for a commercial driver's license who will operate a commer- 27 cial motor vehicle in interstate commerce shall certify that such appli- 28 cant meets the requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle, as 29 set forth in public law 99-570, title XII, and title 49 of the code of 30 federal regulations, and all regulations promulgated by the United 31 States secretary of transportation under the hazardous materials trans- 32 portation act. In addition, an applicant for a commercial driver's 33 license shall submit a medical certificate at such intervals as required 34 by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part 35 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations relating to 36 medical certification and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. 37 For purposes of this section and sections five hundred three, five 38 hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this title, the terms "medical 39 certificate" and "medical certification" shall mean a form substantially 40 in compliance with the form set forth in Part 391.43(h) of title 49 of 41 the code of federal regulations. Upon a determination that the holder of 42 a commercial driver's license has made any false statement, with respect 43 to the application for such license, the commissioner shall revoke such 44 license. 45 § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehicle and 46 traffic law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws of 2019, is amended to 47 read as follows: 48 (a) A license issued pursuant to subdivision five of this section 49 shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless such 50 license is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed 51 by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by law, 52 proofs of prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by 53 the commissioner, the applicant's social security number or, in lieu 54 thereof, with respect to an application for a non-commercial driver's 55 license or learner's permit which does not meet federal standards for 56 identification, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not
S. 6188 4 1 been issued a social security number, or individual taxpayer identifica- 2 tion number (ITIN) or a letter or form from the United States social 3 security administration that states that the applicant is not eligible 4 or submit a sworn statement under the penalty of perjury, stating that 5 the applicant does not have a social security number or ITIN, and if 6 required by the commissioner, a photo image of the applicant in such 7 numbers and form as the commissioner shall prescribe. In addition, an 8 applicant for renewal of a license containing a hazardous material 9 endorsement shall pass an examination to retain such endorsement. The 10 commissioner shall, with respect to the renewal of a hazardous materials 11 endorsement, comply with the requirements imposed upon states by 12 sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the code of federal regu- 13 lations. A renewal of such license shall be issued by the commissioner 14 upon approval of such application, except that no such license shall be 15 issued if its issuance would be inconsistent with the provisions of 16 section five hundred sixteen of this title, and except that the commis- 17 sioner may refuse to renew such license if the applicant is the holder 18 of a currently valid or renewable license to drive issued by another 19 state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such license. 20 § 4. Subdivision 1 of section 504 of the vehicle and traffic law is 21 amended by adding a new paragraph (a-2) to read as follows: 22 (a-2) Every license or renewal thereof issued to an applicant who is 23 an emergency medical personnel, upon such applicant's request and 24 submission of proof as set forth herein, contain a distinguishing mark, 25 in such form as the commissioner shall determine, indicating that such 26 applicant is an emergency medical personnel. Such proof shall consist of 27 any proof satisfactory to the commissioner. The commissioner shall not 28 require fees for the issuance of such licenses or renewals thereof to 29 persons requesting an emergency medical personnel notation which is 30 different from fees otherwise required. 31 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 32 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this 33 act shall take effect October 3, 2027.