BILL NUMBER:A8879

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation
to  exempting  new  electric  vehicles, clean fuel vehicles and vehicles
that meet the clean vehicle standards from the fees for the  first  year
of  registration  of such vehicles; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the bill would be to expand New York  State  tax  credits
for  alternative  fuel  vehicles to include vehicles that meet the clean
vehicle standards. It would broaden the types  of  vehicle  technologies
that would qualify for tax credits.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Bill  §1  adds  three new sections to the definitional provisions of the
Vehicle & Traffic Law (VTL). New §107-a defines "clean fuel vehicle" and
new §114-d defines "electric vehicle", each in a manner consistent  with
the definition in the Internal Revenue Code. Mew §159-a defines the term
"vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards" to match  provisions of
the  federal  Clean  Air  Act relating to vehicles that are certified as
meeting  exhaust  emission  standards  which  the  state  of  California
adopted.

              

Bill  §2  amends VTL §401 to provide exempt these three classes of vehi-
cles from payment of fees in the first year of registration.

JUSTIFICATION:

Current  transportation  technologies  cause  over  50%  of  urban   air
pollution,  produce  30% of greenhouse gases, and are the second largest
source of CO2 in the US. Research shows that exposure to automobile  and
truck  emissions  can  be  linked  to  increased  emergency room visits,
increased hospital admissions and play a factor  in  the  intensity  and
frequency  of  asthma attacks, therefore contributing to overall health-
care costs. There is an urgent  need  for  cleaner  fuel  vehicles.  The
development  of cleaner and more efficient vehicle technologies has been
on the forefront of many agendas. Car manufacturers are trying to satis-
fy the demands of the Federal Government by producing vehicles that  can
meet  the  new  emission  standards.  The  next  step  is in gaining the
public's awareness that the cleaner vehicles are on the market and there
are positive benefits of owning one.

One way of gaining the public's interest in buying  clean-fuel  vehicles
is  by  adding  incentives  for their purchase. By giving a tax break on
registration fees to owners of clean fuel vehicles, it would provide one
such incentive for the public. It would also help lower the health risks
linked to vehicle emissions, and the costs of the healthcare  associated
with those risks.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.11206 (2002)
A.3025 (2003-2004)
A.3271 (2005-06)
A.1932 (2007-08)

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None noted

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect January 1, 2010 and will sunset on January 1,
2014.