What's happening
This bill adds penalties for causing serious injury or death while operating a motor vehicle without a New York license.
Why it matters
Expands criminal liability. The bill creates new criminal penalties for anyone who causes serious injury or death while driving in New York without ever having obtained a state driver’s license, making unlicensed driving resulting in harm a felony-level offense.
Addresses a legal gap. Currently, causing injury or death while unlicensed may not lead to the same level of charges as other forms of reckless or impaired driving. This amendment closes that loophole, treating unlicensed drivers more like those who drive drunk or recklessly.
Potential deterrence effect. By specifically targeting unlicensed drivers with harsher penalties, the bill aims to discourage individuals from driving without going through the proper licensing process, potentially reducing accidents caused by unqualified drivers.
Impacts on enforcement and justice. Prosecutors and law enforcement will have clearer grounds to charge unlicensed drivers in serious crashes, possibly leading to more convictions and longer sentences in these cases, which could influence plea negotiations and outcomes in court.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Penalize Unlicensed Driver Injuries
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Tougher Penalties for Unlicensed Drivers
In Senate Committee · Codes · Sponsor Phil Boyle
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3590
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to vehicular assault and vehicular manslaughter
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 120.03 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 732 of the laws of 2006, is amended and a new subdivision 4 is added to read as follows:
(3) operates a snowmobile in violation of paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of subdivision one of section 25.24 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law or operates an all terrain vehicle as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section twenty-two hundred eighty-one of the vehicle and traffic law and in violation of subdivision two, three, four, or four-a of section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law, and as a result of such intoxication or impairment by the use of a drug, or by the combined influence of drugs or of alcohol and any drug or drugs, operates such snowmobile or all terrain vehicle in a manner that causes such serious physical injury to such other person[.], or
(4) operates a motor vehicle without having been licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the state of New York, and while operating said motor vehicle causes serious physical injury to another person.
§ 2. Subdivisions 5 and 6 of section 125.13 of the penal law, subdivision 5 as amended and subdivision 6 as added by chapter 496 of the laws of 2009, are amended and a new subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
(5) has previously been convicted of violating any provision of this article or article one hundred twenty of this title involving the operation of a motor vehicle, or was convicted in any other state or jurisdiction of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle which,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03936-01-7
A. 3590 2
if committed in this state, would constitute a violation of this article or article one hundred twenty of this title; [or]
(6) commits such crime while operating a motor vehicle while a child who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such motor vehicle and causes the death of such child[.]; or
(7) operates a motor vehicle without having been licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the state of New York, and while operating said motor vehicle causes the death of another person.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.