What's happening
This bill creates a "Women Veterans" license plate in New York, with proceeds supporting programs for women veterans, including homelessness and counseling.
Why it matters
Elevates Visibility and Recognition for Women Veterans. By creating a specific “Women Veterans” license plate, the bill acknowledges and publicly honors the service of women veterans, helping to raise awareness of their contributions and unique experiences in the military.
Directs Funds to Address Critical Needs. Proceeds from the additional annual service charge (beyond initial development costs) are reserved specifically for programs serving women veterans, particularly targeting homelessness, counseling, and other support services, which are often underfunded and tailored inadequately for women.
Establishes Dedicated, Transparent Funding Mechanisms. The bill sets up a “women veterans support fund” overseen by state financial authorities, ensuring that money raised is kept separate from general funds and is used solely for women veterans’ services, thereby increasing accountability and impact.
Encourages Early Community Support for Implementation. The license plate program requires either a surety bond or a minimum of 200 pre-orders before production, which helps gauge genuine demand and mitigates risk to the state, ensuring resources are not spent on plates without sufficient public interest.
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Who cares
Women veterans
The bill would create a fund for homelessness, counseling and other programs supporting women veterans, financed by annual plate surcharges collected above $6,000 and other authorized funding.
New York motorists
Any state resident could request a “Women Veterans” plate for an additional $25 annual charge on top of regular registration fees.
Department of Motor Vehicles
The department would design, produce and issue the plates only after receiving a $6,000 surety bond or at least 200 prepaid orders.
Division of Veterans’ Affairs’ women veterans’ services
The bill would assign this office responsibility for spending the support fund on programs for women veterans.
Headline styles
Women Veterans License Plates
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4603
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 15, 2019
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY, COMRIE -- 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 establishing distinctive "Women Veterans" license plates; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the "women veterans support fund"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 404-ff to read as follows:
§ 404-ff. Distinctive "Women Veterans" license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive "Women Veterans" license plate of a design approved by the commissioner. Application for said license plate shall be filed with the form and detail as the commissioner shall prescribe.
2. A distinctive plate issued pursuant to this section shall be issued in the same manner as other number plates upon the payment of the regular registration fee prescribed by section four hundred one of this article, provided, however, that an additional annual service charge of twenty-five dollars shall be charged for such plate. Such additional service charge shall be deposited pursuant to section four hundred fouroo of this article to the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate development fund, established by section ninety-five-g of the state finance law, and shall be used for the production, design, advertising and marketing of distinctive number plates; provided, however, that additional annual service charges collected in excess of six thousand dollars shall be deposited to the credit of the women veterans support fund established pursuant to section ninety-five-j of the state finance law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04899-01-9
S. 4603 2
§ 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-j to read as follows:
§ 95-j. Women veterans support fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "women veterans support fund".
2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys collected pursuant to section four hundred four-ff of the vehicle and traffic law, and all other moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law.
3. Moneys of the fund shall be expended by the New York state division of veterans' affairs' women veterans' services. These funds shall be used for women veterans homelessness, counseling and other programs that support women veterans.
§ 3. 1. A distinctive plate established pursuant to section 404-ff of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section one of this act, shall only be designed, produced and issued upon the delivery to the department of motor vehicles of a surety bond in the amount of six thousand dollars, which shall be executed by a surety company authorized by the department of financial services to transact business in this state. Provided, however, that if the commissioner of motor vehicles shall have received prior to the plate design, production and issuance at least two hundred orders for such distinctive plate together with the additional annual service charge applicable to each such order, which shall be non-refundable, no such surety bond shall be required. All such service charges shall be deposited pursuant to the provisions of section 404-oo of the vehicle and traffic law to the credit of the department of motor vehicles distinctive plate development fund established by section 95-g of the state finance law and shall be used for the design, production, advertising and distribution of distinctive license plates in accordance with such section 95-g.
2. If, upon the expiration of two years following the date upon which distinctive plates in the series are first available for sale, two hundred or more sets of such plates are sold, a bond delivered pursuant to this section shall be discontinued. If fewer than two hundred sets of such plates are sold by such time, the department of motor vehicles shall be entitled to recover against the bond an amount proportionate to such shortfall.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that section three of this act shall take effect immediately; provided further, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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 establishing distinctive "Women Veterans" license plates; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the "women veterans support fund"
Purpose
This bill would establish a distinctive "Women Veterans" license plate and provide for the use of the service charge for women veteran support services such as homelessness, counseling, and other support programs.
Summary of provisions
This bill adds a new section 404-x to the vehicle and traffic law that would authorize the creation of distinctive "Women Veterans" license plates. It would require an additional annual service charge of twenty- five dollars per each set of plates issued. The initial service charges collected by the department of motor vehicles in excess of six thousand dollars would be paid to the Women Veterans' Services department of the New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs.
Justification
New York State is home to 65,756 women veterans. This is 12% of the veteran population in NYS and this number continues to rise. Women Veterans have been continually under cared for when it comes to health, recognition, public awareness, and other areas typically involved with male Veterans. It was not until 1980 that women were even give the title of Veterans even though they had served for many years prior. Women were not considered for normal Veteran's health care until 1983; it was not until 1988 that Dr. Susan H. Mather created the Veterans Health Adminis- tration office to finally address women's issues. In 1996 the first "National Summit on Women Veterans Issues" was held in Washington, D.C. so women could talk with policy makers and VA officials to make changes to the way that women Veterans were taken care of.
Even though there are some programs in place for our women Veterans, homelessness is a big issue. Women actually make up a larger number of homeless Veterans than male Veterans. The VA did not approach this issue until 2000 when they gave $3 million to fund support programs, but only for a three-year program. Our women Veterans need more support from our state to help fight the same male Veterans issues and more. PTSD, Coun- seling, and Support programs will greatly benefit from this license plate program. We need to show the same support we show our male Veter- ans to our women Veterans.
Legislative history
2017-18: S5412 - Referred to Transportation
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
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.