Provides for distinctive license plates for gold star family members; eliminates the registration fee for gold star mother and gold star family member distinctive license plates.

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S2296-2013 Actions

• Jan 15, 2013: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S2296-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2296

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to providing distinctive license plates for gold star family
members and eliminating the registration fee for gold star mother and
gold star family member distinctive license plates

PURPOSE:  To create a "Gold Star Family" license plate for widows,
widowers, gold star fathers and their spouses, children,
step-children, brothers. sisters, step-brothers, step-sisters and
grandparents of a fallen service members. Also, removes the
registration fee for "Gold Star Mother" or "Gold Star family" license
plates.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 establishes a "Gold Star family" license plate and removes
the registration fee for "Gold Star Mother" and "Gold Star Family"
license plates.

Section 2 contains effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:  New Yorkers have a proud history of responding to the
call to serve in our nations Armed Forbes. Our nation is currently
engaged in the longest war with all volunteer forces since the
American Revolutionary War. A higher percentage of moms and dads are
serving today than in any time in recent history. Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates recently stated that more than 40 percent of the
military are parents and over 230,000 children have a mother or father
at war.

When the nation calls these warriors to difficult and dangerous
places, our service men and women answer that call knowing that what
they do protects those that they've left behind. The families of those
who have died for our freedom deserve every effort we can possibly
make on their behalf. Giving them an opportunity to honor their loved
one with a custom license plate will serve as a powerful reminder to
everyone that drives and rides on New York's streets and highways that
military families live among us.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill in Senate.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after
it shall have become a law.

S2296-2013 Text

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

                                    2296

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 15, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  BALL  --  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
    distinctive  license plates for gold star family members and eliminat-
    ing the registration fee for gold star mother  and  gold  star  family
    member distinctive license plates

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Section 404-i of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by
  chapter 277 of the laws of 1991 and renumbered by  chapter  108  of  the
  laws  of  1994,  subdivision  1 as amended by chapter 732 of the laws of
  2004 and subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 486 of the laws of 1996, is
  amended to read as follows:

    S 404-i. Distinctive plates for gold star mothers AND GOLD STAR  FAMI-
  LIES.    1.  Any gold star mother or the spouse of a gold star mother OR
  ANY GOLD STAR FATHER OR THE SPOUSE OF A GOLD STAR FATHER, OR  THE  WIDOW
  OR  WIDOWER OF A FALLEN SERVICE MEMBER, OR ANY CHILD, STEP-CHILD, BROTH-
  ER, SISTER,  STEP-BROTHER,  STEP-SISTER,  OR  GRANDPARENT  OF  A  FALLEN
  SERVICE  MEMBER  residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a
  license plate bearing the words "gold star mother" OR "GOLD  STAR  FAMI-
  LY",  RESPECTIVELY.    If  a  distinctive plate is issued to a gold star
  mother OR GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBER pursuant to this  section,  additional
  distinctive  plates  may  be  issued for every vehicle registered in the
  name of the gold star mother recipient residing in  this  state  or  the
  spouse of such gold star mother, OR THE GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBER.  Appli-
  cation  for  said  license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in
  such form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
    2. The distinctive plate authorized herein shall be issued upon proof,
  satisfactory to the commissioner, that the applicant or  the  spouse  of
  the  applicant  is  a gold star mother OR THE APPLICANT IS ANY GOLD STAR
  FATHER OR THE SPOUSE OF A GOLD STAR FATHER, OR THE WIDOW OR WIDOWER OF A

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00163-01-3

 S. 2296                             2

  FALLEN SERVICE MEMBER, OR ANY CHILD, STEP-CHILD, BROTHER, SISTER,  STEP-
  BROTHER, STEP-SISTER, OR GRANDPARENT OF A FALLEN SERVICE MEMBER.
    3. A distinctive plate 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  arti-
  cle],  provided,  however,  that  no  REGISTRATION FEE OR service charge
  shall be charged for such plate.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
  have  become  a  law, provided 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 is authorized and
  directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.