Bill Text: NY S00677 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes a distinctive "guardians for schools" license plate; establishes the guardians for schools fund.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S00677 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00677-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           677

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 5, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens. TEDISCO, FELDER -- 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  authorizing
          a  distinctive "guardians for schools" license plate; and to amend the
          state finance law, in  relation  to  establishing  the  guardians  for
          schools 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-ff to read as follows:
     3    §  404-ff. Distinctive "guardians for schools" license plates. 1.  Any
     4  person residing in this state shall upon request be issued a distinctive
     5  "guardians for schools" license plate bearing the phrase "guardians  for
     6  schools".    Application for said license plates shall be filed with the
     7  commissioner  in  such  form  and  detail  as  the  commissioner   shall
     8  prescribe.
     9    2.  Any  distinctive  plate  issued  pursuant to this section shall be
    10  issued in the same manner as other number plates upon the payment of the
    11  regular registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of  this
    12  article  provided,  however, that an additional annual service charge of
    13  twenty-five dollars shall be charged for such plate. Such annual service
    14  charge shall be deposited pursuant to the  provisions  of  section  four
    15  hundred  four-oo  of  this  article  to  the credit of the guardians for
    16  schools fund established  by  section  ninety-seven-zzzz  of  the  state
    17  finance law, and shall be used for purpose of ensuring increased securi-
    18  ty in public schools.  Provided, however, that one year after the effec-
    19  tive date of this section, funds in the amount of five thousand dollars,
    20  or so much thereof as may be available shall be allocated from such fund
    21  to the department to offset costs associated with the production of such
    22  license plate.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03614-01-3
        S. 677                              2

     1    §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-zzzz
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  97-zzzz.    Guardians for schools fund.   1. There is hereby estab-
     4  lished in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and  finance
     5  and  the  comptroller,  a special fund to be known as the "guardians for
     6  schools fund".
     7    2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received  pursuant  to  the
     8  provisions  of  section  four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic
     9  law and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred  thereto
    10  from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this
    11  section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests
    12  for  the  purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing
    13  them into the fund according to law.
    14    3. Moneys of the fund shall be expended for the sole purpose of ensur-
    15  ing increased security in public schools, including, but not limited to,
    16  helping pay for school  resource  officers,  security  training,  mental
    17  health  counseling,  metal  detectors, security cameras and other school
    18  building modifications to improve school  safety.  The  commissioner  of
    19  education of the state of New York shall establish guidelines and crite-
    20  ria for qualifying expenditures under this subdivision and shall promul-
    21  gate  all rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of
    22  this subdivision.
    23    4. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit  and  warrant  of
    24  the  state  comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commis-
    25  sioner of education of the state of New York.
    26    5. Any income earned on moneys in the guardians for schools fund shall
    27  be added to and used for the purposes of such fund.
    28    6. Monies of the fund shall be used solely for the use of school secu-
    29  rity measures and may not be diverted into the general fund.
    30    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    31  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
    32  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    33  tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
    34  completed on or before such effective date.