Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (R,I,C-Gowanda) announced today that he has sent a letter to both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Barbara Fiala objecting to the recent decision to eliminate the requirement that licensees receive a vision test every eight years when simultaneously renewing their driver’s license. Additionally, the Assemblyman is signing on to legislation that is being drafted to reverse this unilateral and unfair policy.

Assemblyman Giglio said, “This is purely a money grab by the State of New York. Our counties that operate local DMV offices receive 12½% of the cost of each transaction. That local share is used by counties around the State to operate the local offices so that our taxpayers are able to visit a representative in person. Eliminating the vision test requirement is dangerous and foolish, and the DMV is simply hoping that taxpayers make transactions online so that the State can get that extra 12½% in Albany.”

The 149th District that Assemblyman Giglio represents includes Cattaraugus County, which collected more than $60,000 in revenue, part of Allegany County, which collected more than $16,000 in revenue, and part of Chautauqua County, which collected more than $78,000 in revenue. Further, eye doctors and safety experts across the State have widely criticized this questionable policy put in place by the DMV.

“At a time when county governments are being forced to find revenue to pay for State imposed mandates that the State of New York has not relieved them of, the DMV would be foolish to implement this dangerous policy and cost counties money. In my letter to Commissioner Fiala, I have offered to help her discover creative methods to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the State Department of Motor Vehicles. Those new methods, however, should not be implemented at a cost to county taxpayers,” Assemblyman Giglio continued.