STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7032 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 28, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- 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 providing qualified homeless individuals non-driver state identification cards The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of 2 section 490 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 2 of 3 part V of chapter 56 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows: 4 (iii) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contra- 5 ry, a person who is either (A) sixty-two years of age or older and a 6 recipient of supplemental security income benefits [or], (B) a recipient 7 of public assistance, as defined in subdivision nineteen of section two 8 of the social services law, supplemental nutrition assistance program 9 benefits, pursuant to section ninety-five of the social services law, or 10 medical assistance, as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision thirty- 11 eight of section two of the social services law, and who has not been 12 issued a driver's license, or whose driver's license is expired, or who 13 surrendered [his or her] such recipient's driver's license, or (C) any 14 person who can verify their status as a homeless person or homeless 15 child or youth, shall be issued an identification card without the 16 payment of any fee, upon submitting the appropriate application. For 17 persons applying for an identification card pursuant to clause (B) of 18 this subparagraph, such application shall include proof that such person 19 is in receipt of public assistance, supplemental nutrition assistance 20 program benefits, or medical assistance, as the case may be. For 21 persons applying for an identification card pursuant to clause (C) of 22 this subparagraph, such application shall include proof that such person 23 is homeless. Such proof shall include verification from a homeless 24 service provider that has knowledge of the person's housing status. For EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11161-01-5
S. 7032 2 1 purposes of this subparagraph, the following terms shall have the 2 following meanings: 3 (1) "homeless child or youth" shall have the same meaning as the defi- 4 nition of "homeless children and youths" as defined in the federal 5 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 USC, 11301 et seq.); 6 (2) "homeless person" shall have the same meaning as set forth in the 7 federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 USC 11301, et seq.); 8 and 9 (3) "homeless services provider" shall include: 10 (A) a governmental or nonprofit agency receiving federal, state, coun- 11 ty or municipal funding to provide services to a "homeless person" or 12 "homeless child or youth", or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide 13 such services by a local homeless continuum of care organization; 14 (B) an attorney licensed to practice law in this state; 15 (C) a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth 16 as designated pursuant to 42 USC 11432 (g)(1)(J)(ii), or a school social 17 worker; 18 (D) a human services provider or public social services provider fund- 19 ed by the state of New York to provide homeless children or youth 20 services, health services, mental or behavioral health services, 21 substance use disorder services, or public assistance or employment 22 services; 23 (E) a law enforcement officer designated as a liaison to the homeless 24 population by a local police department or sheriff's department within 25 the state; or 26 (F) any other homeless services provider that is qualified to verify 27 an individual's housing status, as determined by the department. 28 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 29 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 30 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 31 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 32 on or before such date.