S10511 • 2025

Establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death

Crime

Active

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Sponsor: Monica Martinez
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: In Senate Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death

Establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death Enacts the "Bryant Ortiz act"; establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death when such person operates a motor vehicle upon a public highway without a valid license or in violation of the conditions of a learner's permit or any other limited driving privilege, including conditional and restricted use licenses, and in the course of such unlawful operation commits a traffic infraction or engages in negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and such operation results in the death of another person; makes it a class E felony.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death Enacts the "Bryant Ortiz act"; establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death when such person operates a motor vehicle upon a public highway without a valid license or in violation of the conditions of a learner's permit or any other limited driving privilege, including conditional and restricted use licenses, and in the course of such unlawful operation commits a traffic infraction or engages in negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and such operation results in the death of another person; makes it a class E felony.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-05-15 Senate
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

Official Summary Text

Establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death
Enacts the "Bryant Ortiz act"; establishes the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death when such person operates a motor vehicle upon a public highway without a valid license or in violation of the conditions of a learner's permit or any other limited driving privilege, including conditional and restricted use licenses, and in the course of such unlawful operation commits a traffic infraction or engages in negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and such operation results in the death of another person; makes it a class E felony.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10511

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                      May 15, 2026
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- 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
          the crime of  aggravated  unlicensed  operation  of  a  motor  vehicle
          resulting in death

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  the "Bryant Ortiz act".
     3    §  2.  The  section  heading of section 511 of the vehicle and traffic
     4  law,  as added by chapter 756 of the laws of 1985, is amended and a  new
     5  subdivision 3-a is added to read as follows:
     6    Operation  while  license or privilege is suspended or revoked; aggra-
     7  vated unlicensed operation; AGGRAVATED UNLICENSED OPERATION OF  A  MOTOR
     8  VEHICLE RESULTING IN DEATH.
     9    3-A.  AGGRAVATED  UNLICENSED OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE RESULTING IN
    10  DEATH. (A) A PERSON IS GUILTY OF THE OFFENSE  OF  AGGRAVATED  UNLICENSED
    11  OPERATION  OF  A MOTOR VEHICLE RESULTING IN DEATH WHEN SUCH PERSON OPER-
    12  ATES A MOTOR VEHICLE UPON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE OR IN
    13  VIOLATION OF THE CONDITIONS OF A LEARNER'S PERMIT OR ANY  OTHER  LIMITED
    14  DRIVING  PRIVILEGE,  INCLUDING  CONDITIONAL AND RESTRICTED USE LICENSES,
    15  AND IN THE COURSE OF SUCH UNLAWFUL OPERATION COMMITS A  TRAFFIC  INFRAC-
    16  TION  OR  ENGAGES  IN  NEGLIGENT  OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND SUCH
    17  OPERATION RESULTS IN THE DEATH OF ANOTHER PERSON.
    18    (B) AGGRAVATED UNLICENSED OPERATION OF A MOTOR  VEHICLE  RESULTING  IN
    19  DEATH IS A CLASS E FELONY. WHEN A PERSON IS CONVICTED OF THIS CRIME, THE
    20  SENTENCE  OF  THE  COURT  MUST BE: (I) A FINE IN AN AMOUNT NOT LESS THAN
    21  FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS NOR MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND  DOLLARS;  AND  (II)  A
    22  TERM OF IMPRISONMENT AS PROVIDED IN THE PENAL LAW FOR A CLASS E FELONY.
    23    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
    24  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15754-02-6