S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        2905--A
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 3, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sens.  DeFRANCISCO,  BONACIC,  GRIFFO,  JOHNSON, LARKIN,
         MAZIARZ, NOZZOLIO, RANZENHOFER,  SEWARD  --  read  twice  and  ordered
         printed,  and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Trans-
         portation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in accord-
         ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
         ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
         distinctive "Support Our  Troops"  plates;  and  to  amend  the  state
         finance law, in relation to creating a Support Our Troops, Inc. fund
         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-x to read as follows:
    3    S 404-X. DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" PLATES. 1. ANY PERSON RESID-
    4  ING  IN THIS STATE SHALL, UPON REQUEST, BE ISSUED A DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT
    5  OUR TROOPS" LICENSE PLATE OF  DESIGN SUBMITTED BY THE SPONSORING  ORGAN-
    6  IZATION  AND  APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WHICH DESIGN MAY INCLUDE THE
    7  SPONSORING ORGANIZATION'S TRADEMARK "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!" OR "SALUTE OUR
    8  HEROES!," ITS TRADEMARK LOGO, AND ITS WEBSITE DOMAIN  ADDRESS.  APPLICA-
    9  TION FOR SAID LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMMISSIONER IN SUCH
   10  FORM AND DETAIL AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE.
   11    2. THE DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" LICENSE PLATES ISSUED PURSUANT
   12  TO  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  ISSUED  IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER
   13  PLATES UPON PAYMENT  OF  THE  REGULAR  REGISTRATION  FEE  PRESCRIBED  BY
   14  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED  ONE  OF  THIS  ARTICLE  AND AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL
   15  SERVICE CHARGE OF TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. TWENTY DOLLARS FROM EACH  TWENTY-
   16  FIVE DOLLARS RECEIVED AS ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGES UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL
   17  BE  DEPOSITED AS A ROYALTY TO THE CREDIT OF THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC.
   18  FUND, ESTABLISHED AS A REVOLVING FUND PURSUANT TO SECTION  NINETY-NINE-U
   19  OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03764-02-2
S. 2905--A 2 1 3. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS 2 SECTION, FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR SO MUCH THERE- 3 OF AS MAY BE AVAILABLE, SHALL BE ALLOCATED FROM SUCH FUND TO THE DEPART- 4 MENT TO OFFSET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF SUCH LICENSE 5 PLATES, TOGETHER WITH AN ADDITIONAL FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO OFFSET 6 COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCTION OF THE PLATE IN MOTORCYCLE SIZE. 7 S 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-u to 8 read as follows: 9 S 99-U. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED 10 IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF 11 TAXATION AND FINANCE A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. 12 FUND. 13 2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 14 FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-X OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND ALL OTHER MONEYS 15 CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT 16 TO LAW, PROVIDED THAT SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-X OF THE VEHICLE AND 17 TRAFFIC LAW SHALL CONTROL THE METHOD OF PAYMENT FOR THE COSTS OF PRODUC- 18 ING THE DISTINCTIVE LICENSE PLATES AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SUCH SECTION 19 OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW. 20 3. MONEYS SHALL BE PAID OUT OF THE FUND TO THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, 21 INC., ORGANIZED PURSUANT TO SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE 22 CODE, ON THE REQUEST OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF 23 SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. ANY INTEREST RECEIVED BY THE COMPTROLLER ON 24 MONEYS ON DEPOSIT IN THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. FUND SHALL BE RETAINED 25 IN AND BECOME PART OF SUCH FUND. NO MONEY FROM SUCH FUND MAY BE WITH- 26 DRAWN, TRANSFERRED, OR USED BY ANY PERSON FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN AS 27 PERMITTED BY THIS SECTION. 28 S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 29 it shall have become a law.