Provides an exemption from any congestion pricing fees for any clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6861
SPONSOR: Ortiz TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to providing an exemption from any congestion pricing fees for
any clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or vehicle that meets the
clean vehicle standards
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill provide an exemption from any congestion pricing fees,
enforced by the state, for any clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicles, or
vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding four new
sections 107-a, 114-e,159-b and 391-a to read as: Clean fuel vehicle.
Every motor vehicle which qualified as clean-fuel vehicle property
pursuant to subsection (c) of section one hundred seventy-nine-A of the
federal internal revenue code.
114-e. Electric vehicle. Every motor vehicle which is a qualified elec-
tric vehicle pursuant to subsection of section thirty of the federal
internal revenue code.
159-b. Vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards. Every motor vehi-
cle which (a) is certified, as provided for under the provisions of the
Federal Clean Air Act as meeting exhaust emissions standards for super-
ultra- low emission vehicles which the state of California has adopted
and which other states are permitted to adopt under 42 U.S.C. section
7503 and has a fuel efficiency for vehicles in its weight class
391-a. Exemption from congestion pricing for clean vehicles. Any clean
fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or vehicle that meets the clean vehicle
standards shall be exempt from any congestion pricing fees implemented
in the state. Any congestion pricing program implemented in the state
shall be required to contain in the terms of such program an exemption
from any fees for any clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or vehicle
that meets the clean vehicle standards.
JUSTIFICATION:
Climate change is a real and serious threat to the health, welfare and
prosperity of all New Yorkers. The consensus of the international scien-
tific community is that climate change will lead to rising sea levels,
increasingly intense storm events and droughts, as well as threats to
global water and food supplies and loss of critical biodiversity,
threatening lives, livelihoods and the integrity of our society. Among
the risks New York faces are: Harm to human health and safety; increas-
ing healthcare costs, increasing costs to municipalities and local
governments; higher insurance costs; loss of property value and contam-
ination of water.
This legislation seeks to give an incentive for New Yorkers to help
change the ramifications of carbon emissions which is one of the largest
contributors to climate change. There should be incentives not penalties
for owners who want to contribute to saving our planets future.
On any given workday, the Manhattan Central Business District hosts
nearly two million workers from around the region, hundreds of thousands
of tourists, and several hundred thousand residents. Streets are
congested with cars, trucks, buses, taxis, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The saturated roadways slow bus service, because emergency vehicles to
lose valuable response time, and contribute to the region's air
pollution problems. Congestion pricing has been proposed to address
these issues. One incentive that could be considered to help meet the
goal of improving air quality is to allow hybrid or other types of low-
emissions vehicles to enter the congestion pricing zone without paying a
fee. Similar incentives have been adopted in locations throughout the
United States and London. These incentives are credited with spurring
growth in alternative fuel vehicle sales in these regions.
London has implemented emissions related charges in its congestion
charge zone. The emissions-related charges offer a 100 percent discount
to the lowest emission vehicles, standard charges for most standard
passenger car models, and additional fees for inefficient vehicles. A
Transport for London study found that this policy will likely have a
minor effect on vehicle fleet composition, traffic congestion, and envi-
ronmental and air quality.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2018: A10314 referred to transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Yet to be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6861
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 22, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to providing an
exemption from any congestion pricing fees for any clean fuel vehicle,
electric vehicle, or vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding four new
2 sections 107-a, 114-e, 159-b and 391-a to read as follows:
3 § 107-a. Clean fuel vehicle. Every motor vehicle which qualifies as
4 clean-fuel vehicle property pursuant to subsection (c) of section one
5 hundred seventy-nine-A of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
6 § 114-e. Electric vehicle. Every motor vehicle which is a qualified
7 electric vehicle pursuant to subsection (c) of section thirty of the
8 federal Internal Revenue Code.
9 § 159-b. Vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards. Every motor
10 vehicle which (a) is certified, as provided for under the provisions of
11 the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. section 7401 et seq., as amended)
12 as meeting exhaust emission standards for super-ultra-low emission vehi-
13 cles which the state of California has adopted (California Code of Regu-
14 lations, Title 13) and is permitted to adopt under 42 U.S.C. section
15 7543, and which other states are permitted to adopt under 42 U.S.C.
16 section 7503, and (b) has a fuel efficiency that is at least one and
17 one-half times the average fuel efficiency for vehicles in its weight
18 class.
19 § 391-a. Exemption from congestion pricing for clean vehicles. Any
20 clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or vehicle that meets the clean
21 vehicle standards shall be exempt from any congestion pricing fees
22 implemented in the state. Any congestion pricing program implemented in
23 the state shall be required to contain in the terms of such program an
24 exemption from any fees for any clean fuel vehicle, electric vehicle, or
25 vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10915-01-9
