BILL NUMBER: S2932A

SPONSOR: DILAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to exempting
new clean fuel vehicles and vehicles that meet the clean vehicle stand-
ards 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:

§ 107-a. Clean fuel vehicle. Every motor vehicle which is four-wheeled,
has a gross vehicle weight rating of not more than 8,500 pounds, has a
              

maximum speed of at least 55 miles per hour, and can be propelled at
least in part by an electric motor and associated power electronics that
draws electricity for a hydrogen fuel cell or from a battery that has a
battery capacity of at least four kilowatt-hours, and is capable of
being charged from an external source of electricity.

Eliminate:(6 § 114-e. Electric vehicle. Every motor vehicle which is a
qualified 7 electric vehicle pursuant to subsection (c) of section thir-
ty of the 8 federal Internal Revenue Code.)

§ 159-b. Vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards. Every motor
vehicle which (a) is certified, as provided for under the provisions of
the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. section 7401 et seq., as amended)
as meeting exhaust emission standards for super-ultra-low emission vehi-
cles which the state of California has adopted (California Code of Regu-
lations, Title 13) and is permitted to adopt under 42 U.S.C. section
7543, and which other states are permitted to adopt under 42 U.S.C.
sections 7503 AND 7507, and (b) has a fuel efficiency that is at least
one and one-half times the average fuel efficiency for vehicles in its
weight class.

§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law is 20
amended by adding a new paragraph c-1 to read as follows:

21 c-1. The provisions of this subdivision and subdivision seven of this

22 section with respect to the payment of registration fees shall not
apply

1 to the first year of registration of any new clean

2 fuel vehicle, vehicle that meets the clean vehicle standards, or any
passenger motor vehicle operated entirely by electricity not generated
by an engine contained therein.

 
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 fore-
front of many agendas. Car manufacturers are trying to satisfy 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 inter-
est 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:

2015-2017: Referred to transportation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None noted

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1, 2019