Bill Text: NY S03086 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires applicants for the renewal of a driver's license to prove they have acceptable vision to operate a motor vehicle.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S03086 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S03086-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3086

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- 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  requiring
          applicants  for the renewal of a driver's license to complete a vision
          test

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehi-
     2  cle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 37 of the laws  of  2019,  is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (a)  A  license  issued  pursuant  to subdivision five of this section
     5  shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless  such
     6  license  is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed
     7  by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by  law,
     8  proofs  of  prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by
     9  the commissioner, the applicant's social security  number  or,  in  lieu
    10  thereof,  with  respect  to an application for a non-commercial driver's
    11  license or learner's permit which does not meet  federal  standards  for
    12  identification, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not
    13  been issued a social security number, and if required by the commission-
    14  er,  a  photo  image  of  the  applicant in such numbers and form as the
    15  commissioner shall prescribe. Such  proof  of  acceptable  vision  shall
    16  require  the applicant to pass a vision test administered by the commis-
    17  sioner or his or her agent, or to submit a certification,  signed  by  a
    18  physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, optometrist or opti-
    19  cian,  attesting  that  the  applicant  has adequate vision to operate a
    20  motor vehicle as determined by the commissioner. In addition, an  appli-
    21  cant  for  renewal of a license containing a hazardous material endorse-
    22  ment shall pass an examination to retain such endorsement.  The  commis-
    23  sioner  shall,  with  respect  to  the  renewal of a hazardous materials
    24  endorsement,  comply  with  the  requirements  imposed  upon  states  by

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07500-01-3
        S. 3086                             2

     1  sections  383.141  and  1572.13 of title 49 of the code of federal regu-
     2  lations. A renewal of such license shall be issued by  the  commissioner
     3  upon  approval of such application, except that no such license shall be
     4  issued  if  its  issuance  would  be inconsistent with the provisions of
     5  section five hundred sixteen of this title, and except that the  commis-
     6  sioner  may  refuse to renew such license if the applicant is the holder
     7  of a currently valid or renewable license to  drive  issued  by  another
     8  state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such license.
     9    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    10  have become a law.