Establishes distinctive "Long Island Sound" license plates; creates the "Long Island Sound environmental fund" for the department of environmental conservation to distribute moneys to not-for-profit corporations, educational organizations or local governments undertaking projects aimed at the beautification of and environmental improvements to the Long Island Sound.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5093
SPONSOR: Lavine TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
distinctive "Long Island Sound" license plates; and to amend the state
finance law, in relation to establishing the "Long Island Sound environ-
mental fund"
PURPOSE:
To allow for the department of motor vehicles to issue distinctive "Long
Island Sound" license plates for residents of the State
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
section 404-ff to allow for the issuance of a distinctive license plate
in relation to the "Long Island Sound" license plate.
Section 2: The State Finance law is amended by adding a new section
99-zzz, which establishes the "Long Island Sound environmental fund"
Section 3: Requires the delivery of a surety bond, until such time that
at least two hundred orders for such distinctive license plate has been
filed.
Section 4: Establishes the effective date
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation would provide a dedicated source of funding through a
newly established "Long Island Sound environmental fund". The funding
will be divided through the annual service charges assessed against
persons electing to purchase distinctive Long Island Sound license
plates. Money in the fund will be available to non-profits, educational
organization and local governments undertaking projects aimed at the
beautification of, and environmental improvements to the Long Island
Sound. Such improvements include but are not limited to, water quality
projects, habitat restoration projects, education, research, improving
public access to the Sound, or recreational opportunities.
On an annual basis, the comptroller will certify the amount of money
deposited into the Long Island Sound environmental fund to the Governor,
Temporary President of the Senate, Speaker of the Assembly, Chair of the
Senate Finance Committee, and Chair of the Assembly Ways and Means
Committee. The Commissioner of Environmental Conservation shall provide
a written report to the Temporary President of the Senate, Speaker of
the Assembly, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Chair of the Assem-
bly Ways and Means Committee, Chair of Senate Committee on Environmental
Conservation, the Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation
Committee, the State Comptroller, and the public on or before February 1
regarding the specific disbursements made the prior year.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022 A2629 transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5093
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 2, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
distinctive "Long Island Sound" license plates; and to amend the state
finance law, in relation to establishing the "Long Island Sound envi-
ronmental 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 "Long Island Sound" license plates. 1. Any
4 person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinc-
5 tive "Long Island Sound" license plate of a design approved by the
6 commissioner. Application for said license plate shall be filed in such
7 form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
8 2. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued
9 in the same manner as other number plates upon the payment of the regu-
10 lar registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this
11 article, provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of
12 twenty-five dollars shall be charged for such plate. Such additional
13 service charge shall be deposited pursuant to section four hundred four-
14 oo of this article to the credit of the department of motor vehicles
15 distinctive plate development fund, established by section ninety-five-g
16 of the state finance law, and shall be used for the production, design,
17 advertising and marketing of distinctive number plates; provided, howev-
18 er, that additional annual service charges collected in excess of six
19 thousand dollars shall be deposited to the credit of the Long Island
20 Sound environmental fund established pursuant to section ninety-seven-
21 zzzz of the state finance law.
22 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-zzzz
23 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02734-01-3
A. 5093 2
1 § 97-zzzz. Long Island Sound environmental fund. 1. There is hereby
2 established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and
3 finance, the state comptroller and the commissioner of environmental
4 conservation, a special fund to be known as the "Long Island Sound envi-
5 ronmental fund".
6 2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys collected pursuant to section
7 four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic law, and all other
8 moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund
9 or source pursuant to law.
10 3. On or before the first day of February each year, the comptroller
11 shall certify to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speak-
12 er of the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee and chair of
13 the assembly ways and means committee, the amount of money deposited in
14 the Long Island Sound environmental fund during the preceding calendar
15 year as a result of the revenue derived pursuant to section four hundred
16 four-ff of the vehicle and traffic law.
17 4. On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner
18 of environmental conservation shall provide a written report to the
19 temporary president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the
20 senate finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and means commit-
21 tee, chair of the senate committee on environmental conservation, chair
22 of the assembly environmental conservation committee, the state comp-
23 troller and the public. Such report shall include how the moneys of the
24 fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year, and shall
25 include:
26 (a) the amount of money disbersed from the fund and the award process
27 used for such disbursements;
28 (b) recipients of awards from the fund;
29 (c) the amount awarded to each;
30 (d) the purposes for which such awards were granted; and
31 (e) a summary financial plan for such moneys which shall include esti-
32 mates of all receipts and all disbursements for the current and succeed-
33 ing fiscal years, along with the actual results from the prior fiscal
34 year.
35 5. Moneys of the fund shall be expended only to not-for-profit corpo-
36 rations, educational organizations or local governments undertaking
37 projects aimed at the beautification of and environmental improvements
38 to the Long Island Sound, including but not limited to, water quality
39 projects, habitat restoration projects, education, research, improving
40 public access to the Sound, or recreational opportunities.
41 6. Moneys shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of
42 the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner
43 of environmental conservation.
44 7. To the extent practicable, the commissioner of environmental
45 conservation shall ensure that all moneys received during a fiscal year
46 are expended prior to the end of such fiscal year.
47 § 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of
48 the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall
49 only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the depart-
50 ment of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand
51 dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the
52 department of financial services to transact business in this state.
53 Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have
54 received prior to the plate design, production and issuance at least two
55 hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional
56 annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be
A. 5093 3
1 non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All such service
2 charges shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo
3 of the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor
4 vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g
5 of the state finance law and shall be used for the design, production,
6 advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance
7 with such section 95-g.
8 2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which
9 distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale, two
10 hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant
11 to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of
12 such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles
13 shall be entitled to recover against the bond an amount proportionate to
14 such shortfall.
15 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
16 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section three of
17 this act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the addi-
18 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
19 the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
20 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
