Relates to the registration of certain motor vehicles

BILL NUMBER:S6067

Title of bill

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to registration of certain motor vehicles

Purpose

To remove the maximum weight cap on vehicles for disabled veterans currently exempt from motor vehicle registration fees.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Removes the maximum gross weight cap for disabled veterans' vehicles currently exempt from registration fees.

Section 2. Enacting clause.

Existing law

Disabled veterans' vehicles exempt from registration fees have a maximum weight cap of sixty-five hundred pounds, well below the weight of vehicles like the Chevrolet Express, Ford E Van, and the Dodge Ram Van.

Justification

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2010, about 2.8 million or 13% of all veterans reported service-connected disabilities. While not all of these disabilities were physical, this statistic underscores the need to ensure that these men and women are able to enjoy the mobility necessary to maintain employment and participate in society. For this reason, New York State long ago made the choice to exempt disabled veterans from vehicle registration fees, decreasing the overall cost of access to mobility.

Unfortunately, the Vehicle and Traffic Law currently has a cap on the maximum weight of 6,500 pounds for disabled veterans' passenger cars exempt from motor vehicle registration fees. This is a problem because individuals with disabilities often require larger motor vehicles. This means larger minivans, sports utility vehicles, or pickup trucks, which have larger doors and are better able to accommodate ramps or lifts and promote access. These modifications also contribute to more weight on the vehicles.

This portion of law was last updated in 1983 - close to three decades ago, when cars were smaller, had less powerful motors, and much lower overall weight. Today, most larger or heavy duty vehicles are over the 6,500 gross weight mark. For instance, the Ford F-150 is 8,800 pounds, the Dodge Ram ST is 6,700 pounds, and the Chevy 1500LS is 6,800 pounds, all well above the weight cap. And this is without any disability modifications.

Disabled veterans may purchase these vehicles expecting to be exempt from registration fees, only to find that they must pay additional money out-of-pocket. This is a disservice to men and women that have given more than most in the line of duty. For this reason, this

legislation lifts the aforementioned registration fee exemption weight cap entirely.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.