What's happening
This bill exempts certain ambulances that charge fees to cover actual costs from vehicle registration fees, clarifying they are not for-profit.
Why it matters
Supports volunteer and municipal ambulance services. by ensuring that those who charge a fee only to recover the actual cost of their services are not treated as for-profit businesses, helping them avoid additional financial burdens.
Removes ambiguity in the law. by clearly defining that cost-recovery fees do not make an ambulance service “for profit,” which could help avoid costly legal disputes or administrative confusion over eligibility for registration fee exemptions.
May help sustain emergency medical services in rural or underserved areas. , where volunteer or non-profit ambulance services often rely on recovering operational costs through fees, ensuring these critical services remain financially viable.
Could help lower operational costs for non-profit ambulance providers. , potentially allowing them to allocate more resources towards staffing, equipment, and response times, ultimately benefiting patients and communities.
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Who cares
Ambulance services charging only actual costs
The bill would make clear that charging fees to cover actual service costs does not disqualify their ambulances from the registration-fee exemption.
For-profit ambulance operators
Their ambulances would remain excluded from the registration-fee exemption.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
The agency would apply the revised exemption when registering ambulances used exclusively to carry sick or injured people.
Headline styles
Waive Fees for Ambulance Registration
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 59
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
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.
Reduce Ambulance Registration Fees
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Brian Kolb
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1132
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2017
Introduced by Sens. GALLIVAN, AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to ambulance registration fees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph b of subdivision 6 of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 168 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
b. The provisions of this article with respect to the payment of registration fees shall not apply to ambulances used exclusively to carry sick or injured persons, other than those used in the business of carrying or transporting sick or injured persons for [hire or] profit[, or]; provided, however, that ambulance services that charge a fee to cover actual costs of such services shall not be considered for profit for the purposes of this section. Nor shall such provisions apply to motor vehicles which are especially constructed and equipped to carry lost, strayed, sick, maimed or disabled animals, and owned and operated for that purpose by a duly incorporated society, incorporated for the purpose of preventing cruelty to animals, or to motor vehicles owned or controlled by the state, a city, county, village, town, school district, or fire district or any of the departments thereof or county extension service association or public improvement district formed under and pursuant to provisions of the town law, or sanitary district formed pursuant to the provisions of chapter five hundred sixteen of the laws of nineteen hundred twenty-eight, as amended, or soil conservation districts formed pursuant to the provisions of the soil conservation districts law, or to motor vehicles owned by professional foreign consuls-general, consuls and vice consuls, who are nationals of the state appointing them and who are assigned to foreign consulates in the state of New York, provided that American professional consular officers
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00088-01-7
S. 1132 2
of equal rank who are citizens of the United States and who exercise their official functions at American consulates in such foreign country, are granted reciprocal exemption, or to motor vehicles owned and operated by the American Red Cross, but in other respects shall be applicable.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to ambulance registration fees
Purpose
To exempt not-for-profit emergency medical vehicles from the payment of vehicle registration fees.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 allows ambulance services that charge a fee to cover only the actual costs of the services provided to remain exempt from paying vehicle registration fees.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
Justification
Many localities rely on not-for-profit emergency rescue squads or ambulance services to transport sick and injured residents. Many of these rescue squads have operated for years on community donations. With the downturn in the economy and advances in emergency medical services and expanding roles and responsibilities, many of these ambulance services found that they needed to bill for services in order to remain solvent. Simply billing for services to remain whole does not make them a for-profit entity, and as such, they should not be required to pay vehicle registration fee.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.91/A.2767 Passed Senate/Referred to Transportation 2013-14: S.95/A.1562 Referred to Transportation 2011-12: S.3240/A.5484 Passed Senate/Referred to Transportation
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.