S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9740

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 29, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Transportation

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:

  Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
section 404-x to read as follows:
  S 404-X. DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" PLATES. 1. ANY PERSON RESID-
ING  IN THIS STATE SHALL, UPON REQUEST, BE ISSUED A DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT
OUR TROOPS" LICENSE PLATE OF  DESIGN SUBMITTED BY THE SPONSORING  ORGAN-
IZATION  AND  APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WHICH DESIGN MAY INCLUDE THE
SPONSORING ORGANIZATION'S TRADEMARK "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!" OR "SALUTE OUR
HEROES!," ITS TRADEMARK LOGO, AND ITS WEBSITE DOMAIN  ADDRESS.  APPLICA-
TION FOR SAID LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMMISSIONER IN SUCH
FORM AND DETAIL AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE.
  2. THE DISTINCTIVE "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" LICENSE PLATES ISSUED PURSUANT
TO  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  ISSUED  IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER NUMBER
PLATES UPON PAYMENT  OF  THE  REGULAR  REGISTRATION  FEE  PRESCRIBED  BY
SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED  ONE  OF  THIS  ARTICLE  AND AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL
SERVICE CHARGE OF TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. TWENTY DOLLARS FROM EACH  TWENTY-
FIVE DOLLARS RECEIVED AS ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGES UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL
BE  DEPOSITED AS A ROYALTY TO THE CREDIT OF THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC.
FUND, ESTABLISHED AS A REVOLVING FUND PURSUANT TO SECTION  NINETY-NINE-U
OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
  3.  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SECTION, FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR SO MUCH THERE-
OF AS MAY BE AVAILABLE, SHALL BE ALLOCATED FROM SUCH FUND TO THE DEPART-
MENT TO OFFSET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  SUCH  LICENSE
PLATES,  TOGETHER  WITH  AN  ADDITIONAL  FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO OFFSET
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PRODUCTION OF THE PLATE IN MOTORCYCLE SIZE.
  S 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-u  to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD03764-03-2

A. 9740                             2

  S  99-U. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED
IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
TAXATION  AND FINANCE A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC.
FUND.
  2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION
FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-X OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND ALL OTHER MONEYS
CREDITED  OR  TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT
TO LAW, PROVIDED THAT SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FOUR-X  OF  THE  VEHICLE  AND
TRAFFIC LAW SHALL CONTROL THE METHOD OF PAYMENT FOR THE COSTS OF PRODUC-
ING  THE  DISTINCTIVE LICENSE PLATES AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SUCH SECTION
OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW.
  3. MONEYS SHALL BE PAID OUT OF THE FUND TO  THE  SUPPORT  OUR  TROOPS,
INC.,  ORGANIZED  PURSUANT  TO SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE
CODE, ON THE REQUEST OF THE  CHAIRMAN  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF
SUPPORT  OUR  TROOPS,  INC.  ANY INTEREST RECEIVED BY THE COMPTROLLER ON
MONEYS ON DEPOSIT IN THE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, INC. FUND SHALL BE RETAINED
IN AND BECOME PART OF SUCH FUND. NO MONEY FROM SUCH FUND  MAY  BE  WITH-
DRAWN,  TRANSFERRED, OR USED BY ANY PERSON FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN AS
PERMITTED BY THIS SECTION.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.