NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4495
SPONSOR: Jensen TITLE OF BILL:
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
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create a distinctive plate that reads "Guardians for Schools" in
order to create a source of funding to help our school districts pay for
the expense of improving school safety.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 - Amends the vehicle and traffic law to create a distinctive
"guardians for schools" license plate. An additional service fee of $25
shall be charged for such plates and funds collected shall be used for
ensuring increased security in public schools; provided that one year
after the effective date of this section $5,000 (or so much thereof as
may be available) shall be allotted to offset the cost of such plates.
Section 2 - Establishes the Guardians for Schools Fund under joint
custody of the Commissioner of Taxation and Finance and the comptroller.
Also mandates the money collected be used only for increased security in
public schools.
JUSTIFICATION:
While the New York State Safe Schools Initiative set out to ensure
effective school safety strategies, many of our districts lack the
resources to implement a plan that adequately addresses security
concerns. The "Guardians for Schools" license plate will give millions
of caring and concerned New Yorkers the ability to take part in a state-
wide effort to keep our children safe from violence while raising money
to help pay for school resource officers, security training at our
schools, mental health counseling, metal detectors, security cameras and
other school building modifications to improVe school safety.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.1659 of 2023/24
A.4295 of 2021/22
A.6053 of 2019/20
A.10521 of 2017/18
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before
such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4495
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred 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.
LBD03533-01-5
A. 4495 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.
