Provides that family members of volunteer or paid professional firefighters who died in the line of duty may obtain a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate; provides for the annual service charge collected to be deposited into the department of motor vehicles distinctive license plate development fund.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4645
SPONSOR: Bologna TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
the issuance of distinctive license plates for family members of volun-
teer or paid professional firefighters who died in the line of duty
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue "Survivor of the
Bravest" license plates to family members of a volunteer or paid profes-
sional firefighter who died in the line of duty in commemoration of the
efforts and sacrifices made by these firefighters to vigilantly serve
their communities.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill would add a new section, 404-ff, to the Vehicle
and Traffic Law. Subdivision 1 of this new section establishes the defi-
nition of the term "family members of a volunteer or paid professional
firefighter who died in the line of duty".
Subdivision 2 of this new section provides the procedure through which a
family member of a volunteer or paid professional firefighter who died
in the line of duty may obtain a.Survivor of the Bravest license plate
from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Subdivision 3 of this new section provides that a Survivor of the
Bravest license plate will be issued upon proof that the applicant is a
family member of a volunteer or paid professional firefighter who died
in the line of duty.
Subdivision 4 of this new section provides that a Survivor of the
Bravest license plate shall be issued in the same manner as other number
plates, except that there is an additional annual service charge of $25
for this license plate. This annual service charge shall be deposited in
the Department of Motor Vehicles' distinctive plate development fund
that has been established pursuant to State Finance Law section 95-g.
Section two of this bill provides that the Survivor of the Bravest
license plate shall only be designed, produced, and issued after the
Department receives a bond in the amount of $6,000. If after 2 years
from the date that the license plates became available for sale, 200 or
more sets of license plates have been sold, the bond may be discontin-
ued. If less than 200 license plates have been sold, the Department may
recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to the shortfall.
Section three of this bill provides that this act shall take effect on
the 180th day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that
section two of this act shall take effect immediately; provided further,
however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
These "Survivor of the Bravest" license plates will recognize the many
volunteer and paid professional firefighters. On a daily basis these
real-life heroes battle against fires, respond to hazardous and toxic
spills, make daring rescue attempts, and face incredible danger. It is
only fitting that we recognize those who have lost their lives in the
line of duty protecting the citizens of our State. "Survivor of the
Bravest" license plates would be a small token of-our appreciation to
the family members of these incredible public servants and would recog-
nize the selfless heroism and supreme sacrifices that these firefighters
have made.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Minimal.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act
shall take effect immediately; provided further, however, that effective
immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regu-
lation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective
date is authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before
such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4645
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BOLOGNA -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
the issuance of distinctive license plates for family members of
volunteer or paid professional firefighters who died in the line of
duty
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
2 section 404-ff to read as follows:
3 § 404-ff. Distinctive license plates for family members of volunteer
4 or paid professional firefighters who died in the line of duty. 1. For
5 purposes of this section, "family members of a volunteer or paid profes-
6 sional firefighter who died in the line of duty" shall mean a spouse,
7 registered domestic partner, parent, sibling or child of a volunteer or
8 paid professional firefighter who died in the course of their employment
9 or performance of duties as a firefighter.
10 2. Any family member of a volunteer or paid professional firefighter
11 who died in the line of duty and who resides in this state shall, upon
12 request, be issued a distinctive license plate bearing the words "Survi-
13 vor of the Bravest" of a design approved by the commissioner. Applica-
14 tion for such license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such
15 form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe and shall be veri-
16 fied annually by the applicant.
17 3. A distinctive plate authorized pursuant to subdivision two of this
18 section shall be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the commissioner,
19 that the applicant is a family member of a volunteer or paid profes-
20 sional firefighter who died in the line of duty.
21 4. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
22 in the same manner as other number plates upon payment of the regular
23 registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03548-02-5
A. 4645 2
1 provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of twenty-
2 five dollars shall be charged for such plate. Such annual service
3 charge shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section four
4 hundred four-oo of this article to the credit of the department of motor
5 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section nine-
6 ty-five-g of the state finance law and shall be used for the production,
7 design, advertising and marketing of distinctive license plates pursuant
8 to such section ninety-five-g.
9 § 2. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
10 the vehicle and traffic law as added by section one of this act shall
11 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
12 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand
13 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the
14 department of financial services to transact business in this state.
15 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have
16 received prior to plate design, production and issuance at least two
17 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional
18 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be
19 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All service
20 charges collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited pursuant
21 to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to
22 the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate devel-
23 opment fund established by section 95-g of the state finance law and
24 shall be used for the design, production, advertising and distribution
25 of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g.
26 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
27 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale two
28 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
29 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
30 such plates are sold by such time, such department shall be entitled to
31 recover against the bond in an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
32 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
33 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this
34 act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the addition,
35 amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
36 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and
37 directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
