STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4010
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to enabling
chiropractors to certify disability; to amend the vehicle and traffic
law, in relation to enabling chiropractors to certify disability for
the purpose of issuance of handicapped license plates and registra-
tion; and to amend the education law, in relation to enabling chiro-
practors to be employed by school districts to provide school health
services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 459 of the real property tax law,
2 as amended by chapter 265 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 2. To qualify as physically disabled for the purposes of this section,
5 an individual shall submit to the assessor a certified statement from a
6 physician or chiropractor licensed to practice in the state on a form
7 prescribed and made available by the commissioner which states that the
8 individual has a permanent physical impairment which substantially
9 limits one or more of such individual's major life activities, except
10 that an individual who has obtained a certificate from the state commis-
11 sion for the blind stating that such individual is legally blind may
12 submit such certificate in lieu of a physician's certified statement.
13 § 2. Subdivision 4 and paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 404-a
14 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 376 of the laws of
15 2015, are amended to read as follows:
16 4. Issue of plates. The commissioner shall issue sets of plates to
17 such person in accordance with subdivision two of this section with
18 proof of such disability of such person or such members of [his or her]
19 such person's family certified by a physician, physician assistant,
20 chiropractor or nurse practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07231-01-5
S. 4010 2
1 consistent with subdivision three of section six thousand nine hundred
2 two of the education law, or podiatrist pursuant to subdivision four-a
3 of this section or optometrist pursuant to subdivision four-b of this
4 section, to the satisfaction of the commissioner who is empowered to
5 carry out the effects of this section by formulating rules and regu-
6 lations.
7 For the purposes of this section, a "severely disabled person" shall
8 mean any person having any one or more of the following impairments,
9 disabilities or conditions which are permanent in nature:
10 (a) Has limited or no use of one or both lower limbs;
11 (b) Has a neuro-muscular dysfunction which severely limits mobility;
12 (c) Has a physical or mental impairment or condition which is other
13 than those specified above, but is of such nature as to impose unusual
14 hardship in utilization of public transportation facilities and such
15 condition is certified by a physician, physician assistant or nurse
16 practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and consistent with subdi-
17 vision three of section six thousand nine hundred two of the education
18 law, duly licensed to practice in this state, or, pursuant to subdivi-
19 sion four-a of this section, a podiatrist duly licensed to practice
20 podiatry in this state or, pursuant to subdivision four-b of this
21 section, an optometrist duly licensed to practice optometry in this
22 state, as constituting an equal degree of disability (specifying the
23 particular condition) so as to prevent such person from getting around
24 without great difficulty in accordance with subdivision two of this
25 section; or
26 (d) A blind person.
27 (b) The commissioner may require the applicant for registration to
28 furnish such proof of [his or her] such applicant's disability or such
29 proof of disability of such members of [his or her] such applicant's
30 family from a physician, physician assistant, chiropractor or nurse
31 practitioner, to the extent authorized by law and consistent with subdi-
32 vision three of section six thousand nine hundred two of the education
33 law, or podiatrist pursuant to subdivision four-a of this section or
34 optometrist pursuant to subdivision four-b of this section, as the
35 commissioner deems necessary either for initial registration or renewal
36 thereof; provided, however, that a handicapped or disabled permit issued
37 by a municipality to such applicant pursuant to section twelve hundred
38 three-a of this chapter shall be deemed sufficient proof of disability
39 for purposes of this paragraph.
40 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 902 of the education law, as amended by
41 chapter 477 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
42 1. As used in this article "health professionals" means persons duly
43 licensed or otherwise authorized to practice a health profession pursu-
44 ant to applicable law, including, but not limited to, physicians, regis-
45 tered professional nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants,
46 optometrists, dentists, dental hygienists, chiropractors, dietitians and
47 nutritionists, and audiologists.
48 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
49 have become a law.