BILL NUMBER: S6157
SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
a statewide multi-agency integrated data system for certain violations
relating to motor vehicle registration and use
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To implement a graduated fine schedule for obstructed license plates and
to create a database of moving and non-moving traffic offenses for the
purpose of real time enforcement.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends Section 402 of Vehicle and Traffic Law to
raise the minimum fine for fraudulent and obstructed plates from $100 to
$150. A graduated schedule of fines is implemented starting at $150 for
a first offense, $300 for a second offense, $500 for a third offense,
$800 for a fourth offense, and $1,000 for a fifth and subsequent offense
all occurring within a period of 18 months.
Section two of the bill amends Article 2 of Vehicle and Transportation
Law by adding a new section 225 which creates a statewide multi-agency
integrated data system for the purpose of viewing and enforcing
outstanding toll liabilities, suspended vehicle registrations, unpaid
parking tickets, and prior license plate-related infractions in real
time.
Section three of the bill sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The readability of a vehicle's license plate is crucial for toll
collection, the issuance of fines, and the enforcement of various traf-
fic laws. Unfortunately, the minimum penalty for the offense of an
obscured, or "ghost," plate is just $100- a fee too low to deter uniden-
tifiable vehicles escaping hundreds of dollars in tolls and traffic
fines. This bill implements a graduated system of fines starting at $150
for a first offense to $1,000 for five or more offenses within 18
months. Increased penalties disincentivize repeat offenders and send a
clear message that this type of unsafe driving will not go unpunished.
Increasing fines is a necessary first step toward tackling fine evasion,
but the difficulty also lies in the lack of a central source of informa-
tion for street-level enforcers to access during traffic interactions.
It's difficult for officers to determine if a vehicle has committed its
first offense or its tenth when issuing fines for visually identifiable
infractions rarely requires a search of license or vehicle history. For
example, an outdated registration sticker or late inspection is evident
to a traffic enforcer by their view of what is or isn't displayed on a
car's windshield. For ghost plate enforcement, an officer would just
write a ticket based on the missing or improper plate, but they wouldn't
necessarily need to look up the Vehicle Identification Number or other
identifier of the car. Without this, there's no way to know if a vehi-
cle or license is associated with past obstructed plate offenses or
license suspensions and thus a graduated fee schedule would see little
enforcement.
A centralized database solves this by providing real-time information on
a vehicle's traffic offense history and outstanding fines for enforce-
ment agents to access immediately. Additionally, agencies like the DMV
and tolling authorities would be able to share data related to prior
ghost plate violations, ghost plate-related license suspensions, unpaid
tolling and parking liabilities, and more with municipalities. When
ticketing agents are equipped with the information and context they need
to find prior violations, they can properly implement a graduated fine
schedule and keep our streets safe.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law