Directs the commissioner of motor vehicles to establish a next of kin registry for holders of drivers' licenses, learners' permits and non-driver identification cards; such holders may submit their emergency contact information to be used by police in the event the holder is injured or killed.

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S1948-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S1948-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1948

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation
to establishing a next of kin registry for holders of drivers' licenses,
learners' permits and non-driver identification cards

PURPOSE:  To create a "next of kin registry" in the State of New York.

SUMMARY:

Section  1  amends  the  Vehicle and Traffic Law by adding a new section
(215-a) in order to require the commissioner of the Department of  Motor
Vehicles  to establish and operate a statewide internet site to be known
as the "next of kin registry." The commissioner  of  the  Department  of
Motor  Vehicles  will  be  required  to  create  a  system  by which the
license/ID holder can sign in using their card number and add  emergency
contacts  who  are  18  years  or  older.  The emergency contact will be
contacted by an investigating police officer in the event of an accident
pursuant to the new Section 606 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law  provided
for in Section 2 of this legislation.

Section  2  creates  a new Section 606 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law in
order to provide for appropriate times an investigating  police  officer
should  attempt  to  contact  the  emergency contact provided for in the
"next of kin registry" including any event resulting in physical injury,
death, or incapacitation.

Section 3 provides the act take effect on the one hundred eightieth  day
after  it  shall have become law; provided, that, effective immediately,
any actions necessary to implement the provisions of  this  act  on  its
effective  date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before
such date.

JUSTIFICATION:  When these is a motor vehicle accident,  family  members
of the victims should be informed in a timely manner.

Current law provides no way for police officers to find contact informa-
tion for a victims' emergency contacts in the event of an accident.

This  bill  amends  the  Vehicle and Traffic Law by adding a new section
(215-a) in order to establish a statewide internet site to be  known  as
the  "next  of  kin  registry."  Holders of drivers' licenses, learners'
permits and non..driver identification cards will be able to  visit  the
website  and  use  their  card  number  to  register up to two emergency
contacts. The emergency contacts must be 18 years or older. In the event
of an accident resulting in physical injury, death,  or  incapacitation,
the  investigating police officer will then attempt to contact the emer-
gency contact(s) provided for in the online registry.

This bill includes a specific  provision  to  protect  registrants  from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law. Only police officers is

the specific instances outlined in this bill will be permitted to access
emergency contact information provided in the "next of kin registry."

Motor vehicle accidents can be traumatic for the victims and their fami-
ly  members.  It  is inexcusable in this technological age that there be
anything preventing the quick notice of a victims' next of  kin  in  the
event there is an accident resulting in physical injury, death, ox inca-
pacitation.  This  legislation will allow New York State's Department of
Motor Vehicles to apply a similar system to other state's online  regis-
try's for "next of kin" emergency contacts.

HISTORY:    S5276  of  2011 - referred to transportation S5276 of 2012 -
passed Senate

FISCAL IMPACT: Minimal.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
day after it shall have become law; provided, that, effective immediate-
ly, any actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its
effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or  before
such date.

S1948-2013 Text

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

                                    1948

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sens.  RITCHIE, KLEIN -- 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 establishing
    a next of kin registry for holders  of  drivers'  licenses,  learners'
    permits and non-driver identification cards

    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 215-a to read as follows:

    S 215-A. NEXT OF KIN REGISTRY. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH AND
  OPERATE,  WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AN AUTOMATED, STATEWIDE INTERNET ACCES-
  SIBLE WEBSITE TO BE KNOWN AS THE "NEXT OF KIN REGISTRY".  SUCH  REGISTRY
  SHALL BE CAPABLE OF STORING EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE HOLDERS
  OF  DRIVERS'  LICENSES,  LEARNERS' PERMITS AND NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION
  CARDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE  BY  POLICE  OFFICERS  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  SIX
  HUNDRED SIX OF THIS CHAPTER. ANY HOLDER OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE, LEARNER'S
  PERMIT  OR NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION CARD MAY VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT, VIA AN
  INTERNET WEBSITE ESTABLISHED THEREFOR, THE NAMES,  ADDRESSES  AND  TELE-
  PHONE NUMBERS OF TWO EMERGENCY CONTACTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE NEXT OF KIN
  REGISTRY.
    2. IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEXT OF KIN REGISTRY, THE COMMISSIONER
  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A  PROCESS  WHEREBY  ANY HOLDER OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE,
  LEARNER'S PERMIT OR NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION  CARD  MAY  ELECTRONICALLY
  SIGN  INTO  THE  DEPARTMENT  INTERNET  WEBSITE USING HIS OR HER LICENSE,
  PERMIT OR CARD NUMBER. THEREAFTER, SUCH HOLDER  MAY  ENTER  HIS  OR  HER
  EMERGENCY  CONTACT  INFORMATION  FOR NOT MORE THAN TWO EMERGENCY CONTACT
  PERSONS, OR MAY REVISE OR UPDATE PREVIOUSLY  ENTERED  EMERGENCY  CONTACT
  INFORMATION.
    3.  INFORMATION  IN  THE  NEXT OF KIN REGISTRY SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE
  SOLELY FOR THE USE OF POLICE OFFICERS PURSUANT TO  SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD04870-01-3

 S. 1948                             2

  SIX  OF  THIS CHAPTER. THE INFORMATION IN THE NEXT OF KIN REGISTRY SHALL
  BE DEEMED TO BE CONFIDENTIAL AND SHALL  NOT  BE  SUBJECT  TO  DISCLOSURE
  PURSUANT TO ARTICLE SIX OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
    4.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "EMERGENCY CONTACT" SHALL MEAN
  ANY PERSON, EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, DESIGNATED BY THE HOLDER  OF
  A  DRIVER'S  LICENSE, LEARNER'S PERMIT OR NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION CARD
  TO BE CONTACTED BY A POLICE AGENCY WHEN SUCH HOLDER IS  RENDERED  UNABLE
  TO COMMUNICATE DUE TO PHYSICAL INJURY, DEATH OR INCAPACITATION.
    S  2.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
  606 to read as follows:

    S 606. NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY CONTACTS. WHEN A MOTOR VEHICLE  ACCI-
  DENT  OR  ANY OTHER EVENT RESULTS IN PHYSICAL INJURY, DEATH OR INCAPACI-
  TATION OF ANY PERSON, THE POLICE OFFICER INVESTIGATING SUCH ACCIDENT  OR
  EVENT SHALL ATTEMPT TO LOCATE AN EMERGENCY CONTACT OF THE INJURED PERSON
  FROM  THE  NEXT  OF  KIN  REGISTRY  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
  HUNDRED FIFTEEN-A OF THIS CHAPTER. A POLICE OFFICER SHALL, WHEN  PRACTI-
  CABLE,  EXPEDITIOUSLY  NOTIFY  AN EMERGENCY CONTACT OF EACH SUCH INJURED
  PERSON AND INFORM  THE  EMERGENCY  CONTACT  OF  THE  HOSPITAL  OR  OTHER
  LOCATION AT WHICH THE INJURED PERSON HAS BEEN TAKEN.
    S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
  it  shall  have become a law; provided, that, effective immediately, any
  actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its  effec-
  tive  date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such
  date.