Relates to the registration of certain farm vehicles

6 Co-sponsors

• Tony Avella
• John J. Bonacic
• Patrick M. Gallivan
• George D. Maziarz
• Michael H. Ranzenhofer
• James L. Seward

BILL NUMBER:S1951

Title of bill

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

Purpose

To eliminate the additional attachment that is currently required of farm plated vehicle registration. This attachment must be kept with the vehicle registration at all times and creates onerous burdens on the industry.

Summary

Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 401 Subdivision 13 is amended to remove the additional vehicle registration requirement of attaching farm vehicle certification to the farm vehicle registration and having to make such documentation available at all times.

Justification

This bill would reduce the unnecessary and cumbersome paperwork associated with farm plated vehicles and would help alleviate the regulatory burden the agricultural community already wrestles with.

Farm plates provide New York producers with the opportunity to obtain a reduced rate for vehicle and plate registration for vehicles used exclu- sively in agricultural production. Currently, farm plated vehicles are restricted to travel within a 25-mile radius of the farm for their busi- ness needs such as traversing between fields, delivery to/from a land- fill and necessary repair and maintenance of the farm vehicle at a repair shop.

While the 25-mile travel restriction is based on and specific to the farm address listed on the farm vehicle's registration, the farmer must file additional paperwork specifically addressing all points of destina- tion for that specific registered farm vehicle. This information must then be kept on file with the vehicle registration as an attachment. Each time the farmer acquires additional land or finds it necessary to travel to an alternate destination in order to conduct business, he/she must file another document with the Department of Motor Vehicles which expends time and staff resources on behalf of the farmer and the State.

With state law already strictly designating use of farm plated vehicles to within 25 miles of the farm that the vehicle is registered to, the additional documentation and maintenance of such paperwork with the State is duplicative and unnecessary. The repeal of this requirement would allow our farm community to focus their valuable time planting and harvesting crops throughout vital months of the year instead of comply- ing with red tape.

History

S5262 of 2011 - passed Senate S5262 of 2012 - passed Senate

Fiscal impact

None to the state.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.