Bill Text: NY S01910 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: 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 and medical services in the event the holder is injured or killed.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S01910 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S01910-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1910--A
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 11, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- reported
          favorably from said  committee  and  committed  to  the  Committee  on
          Finance  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted to said committee
        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 and to authorize certain
          medical providers to access such registry
          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 215-a to read as follows:
     3    § 215-a. Next of kin registry. 1. The commissioner shall establish and
     4  operate, within the department, an automated, statewide internet  acces-
     5  sible  website to be known as the "next of kin registry".  Such registry
     6  shall be capable of storing emergency contact information of the holders
     7  of drivers' licenses, learners' permits  and  non-driver  identification
     8  cards  to  be  accessible by police officers, emergency medical services
     9  and treating physicians pursuant to section six hundred  seven  of  this
    10  chapter.  Any holder of a driver's license, learner's permit or non-dri-
    11  ver identification card may voluntarily submit, via an internet  website
    12  established  therefor, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two
    13  emergency contacts for inclusion in the next of kin registry.
    14    2. In the implementation of the next of kin registry, the commissioner
    15  shall establish a process whereby any  holder  of  a  driver's  license,
    16  learner's  permit  or  non-driver identification card may electronically
    17  sign into the department internet website  using  his  or  her  license,
    18  permit  or  card  number.  Thereafter,  such holder may enter his or her
    19  emergency contact information for not more than  two  emergency  contact
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07441-02-7
        S. 1910--A                          2
     1  persons,  or  may  revise or update previously entered emergency contact
     2  information.
     3    3.  Information  in  the  next of kin registry shall be made available
     4  solely for the use of police officers, emergency  medical  services  and
     5  treating  physicians pursuant to section six hundred seven of this chap-
     6  ter. The information in the next of kin registry shall be deemed  to  be
     7  confidential  and shall not be subject to disclosure pursuant to article
     8  six of the public officers law.
     9    4. For the purposes of this section, "emergency  contact"  shall  mean
    10  any  person, eighteen years of age or older, designated by the holder of
    11  a driver's license, learner's permit or non-driver  identification  card
    12  to  be  contacted by a police agency when such holder is rendered unable
    13  to communicate due to physical injury, death or incapacitation.
    14    § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
    15  607 to read as follows:
    16    §  607. Notification of emergency contacts. When a motor vehicle acci-
    17  dent or any other event results in physical injury, death  or  incapaci-
    18  tation  of any person, the police officer investigating such accident or
    19  event shall attempt to locate an emergency contact of the injured person
    20  from the next of  kin  registry  established  pursuant  to  section  two
    21  hundred  fifteen-a of this chapter. A police officer shall, when practi-
    22  cable, expeditiously notify an emergency contact of  each  such  injured
    23  person  and  inform  the  emergency  contact  of  the  hospital or other
    24  location at which the injured person has been taken.
    25    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    26  it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
    27  ly, any actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its
    28  effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or  before
    29  such date.