What's happening
This bill requires all New York State-issued parking placards to have barcodes for validity checks and mandates an online registry.
Why it matters
Reduces placard abuse and fraud. By requiring barcodes with specific information (name, license plate, agency, unique ID), it becomes much harder to counterfeit or misuse parking placards, helping to ensure only authorized users benefit.
Streamlines enforcement. Traffic agents can quickly scan placards to verify their legitimacy, improving efficiency and accuracy in identifying expired, stolen, or misused placards.
Increases transparency and accountability. The online registry and website allow for easier public and official oversight of who holds placards and for what vehicles, discouraging improper issuance or use.
Potential privacy considerations. Storing and displaying personal and employment information through barcodes and online registries raises concerns about how this sensitive data will be protected and who can access it.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Barcode Parking Placards Required
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1286
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to state-issued parking placards
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-t to read as follows:
§ 837-t. State-issued parking placards. 1. All parking placards issued by the state of New York shall bear a barcode, which shall permit traffic enforcement agents to confirm the validity of such placards when displayed in a motor vehicle. Such barcode shall contain the name of the individual authorized to use the placard, the license plate of the vehicle in which such placard is displayed, the name of the agency for whom the individual using the placard is employed and a unique identification number specific to each placard.
2. The commissioner shall establish an on-line registry and website for all state-issued parking placards.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00684-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to state-issued parking placards
Purpose or general idea of bill
The legislation amends the executive law by adding a new section 837-s to require all parking placards issued by the state of New York to bear a barcode to allow traffic enforcement agents to confirm their validity.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends the executive law by adding a new section 837-s to require all parking placards issued by the state of New York to bear a barcode to allow traffic enforcement agents to confirm their validity. In addition, it requires the barcode to contain information about the individual authorized to use the placard, including the user's name, license place of the vehicle in which it is displayed, the name of the agency for whom the user works, and a unique identification number specific to each placard. The bill also requires the commissioner to establish an on-line registry and website for all state-issued parking placards.
Section 2 provides for this act to take effect immediately.
Justification
New York State has been issuing parking placards to state legislators and government employees for years. Parking placards allow the bearers to park in most areas in New York City where others could not. While these placards are meant to be used for official business purposes only, due to lack of oversight and guidelines, hundreds of placards went into circulation, including fraudulent ones.
On April 7, 2011, Governor Cuomo announced new policies for State issued parking placards following the State Inspector General's investigation, which revealed systematic problems with how the placards were distributed and how they were used by some state employees. The new policy announced by Governor Cuomo established an application and approval process for receiving a placard and reduced the number of placards in circulation.
While this policy may limit the unethical use of parking placards, in order to eradicate abuse of this privilege, there needs to be an enhanced enforcement mechanism that would help traffic agents to easily and promptly confirm their validity. A barcode imprinted on each placard can be scanned by traffic enforcement agents to determine if the placard is authentic and used for proper purpose.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.928
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None known.
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.