The following is proposed legislation, initiated by NYFTTA and assisted by our friends in LIBBA, NYSF, NYMT and RFA, for the purpose of creating a coastal marine fund.  This designated accounts' purpose is to fund projects for preservation, education, and research.  Your comments are welcome.

John Mantione, NYFTTA President

Section 1.  The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 404-s. to read as follows: 
Section 404-s. Distinctive marine and coastal district of New York license plates

1.  Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive marine and coastal district of New York license plate in support of preservation, education, and research projects relating to the district, as described in section 13-0103 of the environmental conservation law.  The design of such distinctive plates shall be developed by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of the department of environmental conservation and the commissioner of the department of economic development.  Applications for said license plates shall be filed with the commissioner in such 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 this 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 plates.  Twenty dollars from each twenty five dollar annual service charge shall be deposited to the credit of the marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research fund established pursuant to section ninety-five-b of the state finance law and shall be used for preservation, education and research projects approved by the marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research board established pursuant to section ninety-five b of the state finance law.

S-2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-b to read as follows :S 95-b. The marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance a special fund to be  known as the " marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research fund".
2. Such a fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to, and distributed in accordance with, the provisions of section four hundred four-s of the vehicle and traffic law, and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.

3. Monies of the fund, following appropriation, may be expended only for preservation, research, and education projects relating to the marine and coastal district of New York, said district as described in section 13-0103 of the environmental conservation law ("district"), that are approved by the marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research board ("board") established pursuant to this section.

4. Monies of the fund shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved or certified by the board.
No money from such fund may be withdrawn, transferred, or used by any person or entity for any purpose other than as permitted by this section.

5. There is hereby created a marine and coastal district of New York preservation, education, and research board to have and exercise the powers, duties and prerogatives provided by the provisions of this section and any other provision of law.

The membership of the board shall consist of three appointed members of which one shall   be appointed by the governor, one shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, and one shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly. A member of the board shall serve at the pleasure
of the official by whom he or she is appointed. The members of the board shall vote among themselves to determine who shall serve as the chair. Each member of the board shall be entitled to designate a representative to attend meetings of the board in hid or her place, and to vote or otherwise act on his or her behalf in his or her absence. Notice of such designation shall be furnished in writing to the board by the designating member. A representative shall serve at the pleasure of the designating member during the member's term of office. A representative shall not be authorized to
delegate any of his or her duties or functions to any other person. Not with standing any inconsistent provisions of general or special law, no officer or employee of the state, of any political subdivision of the state, or of any governmental entity operating any public school or college or of any other public agency or instrumentality or unit of government which exercises governmental powers under the laws of this state, shall forfeit such office or employment by reason of acceptance or appointment as a member or representative of the board nor shall service as such member or
representative be deemed incompatible or in conflict with such office or employment. The members and their representatives shall be deemed employees within the meaning of section seventeen of the public officers law. The members of the board and their representatives shall serve without salary
or per diem allowance but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties pursuant to this section or other provision of law, provided however, that such members and representatives are not, at the time such expenses are
incurred, public employees otherwise entitled to such reimbursement.

The board shall have the power and duty to review, and to approve or deny, applications for funds submitted by a corporation or domestic corporation, as defined in section one hundred two of the not-for-profit corporation law, for proposed preservation, research, and education projects relating
to the district. Any approval of such a proposed project may be granted only by unanimous vote of all three members of the board. The board shall have the power to make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs and to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly given in this section.

3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.

Posted 8/5/01

For additional information about the program visit...
The NY Department of Motor Vehicles web site, custom plates.

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