Bill Text: NY S05558 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a deaf and hard of hearing outreach program to facilitate communication between deaf and hard of hearing individuals and law enforcement personnel.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S05558 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S05558-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5558

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      March 8, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to  establishing  a  deaf
          and  hard  of  hearing  outreach  program  to facilitate communication
          between law enforcement and deaf and hard of hearing individuals

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

     1    Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-x
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 837-x. Deaf and hard of hearing outreach program. 1. As used in this
     4  section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    (a) "Deaf and hard of hearing" shall mean a person who has partial  or
     6  complete loss of hearing, including individuals who are deaf-blind.
     7    (b)  "Visor  communication  card"  shall  mean  such identification as
     8  issued by the division which identifies the driver as deaf and  hard  of
     9  hearing,  as  defined in this section, and which details the appropriate
    10  procedures for assisting a deaf and hard  of  hearing  driver  during  a
    11  traffic stop as promulgated by the division pursuant to this section.
    12    2.  The  division shall develop and maintain visor communication cards
    13  for the purpose of improving communication between law  enforcement  and
    14  deaf  and hard of hearing individuals. Any person residing in this state
    15  shall, upon request,  be  issued  a  visor  communication  of  a  design
    16  approved  by  the commissioner. Application for such visor communication
    17  card shall be filed with the division in such form  and  detail  as  the
    18  commissioner shall prescribe.
    19    3.  The  division  shall  make  available an electronic version of the
    20  visor communication card on their website. The  division  shall  dissem-
    21  inate for the purpose of posting such electronic version to law enforce-
    22  ment  agencies  and  other  state  agencies  where the public may obtain
    23  information regarding motor vehicle registration and licenses.
    24    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03755-01-3