Bill Text: NY A07646 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to requiring vehicle identification numbers to be engraved on the wheels of all motor vehicles sold in this state; prohibits operation of a motor vehicle with the wheel VIN obscured.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - referred to transportation [A07646 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A07646-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7646
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     May 12, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Transportation
       AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
         vehicle identification numbers on the wheels  of  all  motor  vehicles
         sold in this state; and to amend the penal law, in relation to forgery
         of a vehicle identification number
         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 431-a to read as follows:
    3    S  431-A. IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON VEHICLE WHEELS. IN ADDITION TO THE
    4  REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF THIS  ARTICLE,  EVERY
    5  MANUFACTURER  OR  ASSEMBLER  OF  A VEHICLE SOLD IN THIS STATE SHALL HAVE
    6  ENGRAVED ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS OF SUCH VEHICLE, NOT  INCLUDING  ANY
    7  SPARE  WHEEL, THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE THEY WERE
    8  SOLD WITH. SUCH IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SHALL BE NO SMALLER IN  SIZE  THAN
    9  IS  REQUIRED BY RULE OR REGULATION FOR THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
   10  REQUIRED UNDER THIS ARTICLE. EACH ENGRAVED WHEEL  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER
   11  SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LIKEWISE ENGRAVED SUFFIX DIGIT, EITHER 1, 2, 3
   12  OR  4,  THAT  UNIQUELY IDENTIFIES EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS FROM THE OTHER
   13  THREE. EACH ENGRAVED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SHALL BE IN A LOCATION ON THE
   14  WHEEL THAT FACES OUTWARD FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE WHEEL  IS
   15  MOUNTED  ON  THE  VEHICLE AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE, AND SHALL BE PLAINLY
   16  VISIBLE FROM THE VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION BY ANY SPOKE OR
   17  OTHER PART OF THE WHEEL. EACH WHEEL VEHICLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER  AND
   18  UNIQUE  SUFFIX  SHALL  BE  ENGRAVED  DIRECTLY INTO THE WHEEL ITSELF IN A
   19  MANNER THAT IS MEANT TO BE PERMANENT FOR THE LIFE OF THE WHEEL AND MEANT
   20  TO EXHIBIT CLEAR EVIDENCE OF AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE, DEFACE, OR ALTER  THE
   21  ENGRAVING.  THIS ENGRAVING REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY WHEEL SOLD
   22  WITH A NEW VEHICLE THAT THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER WILL AGREE, IN WRITING
   23  AT THE TIME OF SALE, TO REPLACE IN THE EVENT OF LOSS, DAMAGE OR THEFT AT
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD11501-01-1
       A. 7646                             2
    1  ANY TIME AFTER THE DATE OF ORIGINAL SALE OF  THE  ACCOMPANYING  VEHICLE,
    2  WITH A WHEEL OF IDENTICAL APPEARANCE AND CONSTRUCTION, FOR LESS THAN ONE
    3  HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.
    4    S  2.  Subdivision 1 of section 170.65 of the penal law, as amended by
    5  chapter 488 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
    6    (1) He knowingly destroys, covers, defaces, alters or otherwise chang-
    7  es the form or appearance of a  vehicle  identification  number  on  any
    8  vehicle  or  component  part thereof[, except tires] INCLUDING THE VEHI-
    9  CLE'S WHEELS BUT NOT THE TIRES MOUNTED THEREON; or
   10    S 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
   11  1223-b to read as follows:
   12    S  1223-B.  NO  PERSON  SHALL OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE
   13  IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ENGRAVED ON ANY WHEEL  IN  ACCORD-
   14  ANCE  WITH SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE-A OF THIS CHAPTER ARE COVERED
   15  OR OBSCURED.
   16    S 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
   17  ing  the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all
   18  motor vehicles manufactured and sold on or after such date.