S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    261
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation  to  the
   idling time of passenger vehicles

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
 new section 19-0333 to read as follows:
 § 19-0333. EMISSIONS FROM PASSENGER VEHICLES; LIMITATIONS.
   1.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "PASSENGER VEHICLE" SHALL MEAN ANY MOTOR VEHICLE, LIGHT-DUTY TRUCK
 WITH A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF EIGHTY-FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS  OR  LESS,  OR
 ANY  OTHER VEHICLE WHOSE PRIMARY USE IS NONCOMMERCIAL PERSONAL TRANSPOR-
 TATION.  SUCH DEFINITION SHALL ALSO INCLUDE "MOTORCYCLE", "TAXICAB"  AND
 "LIVERY"  AS  SUCH  TERMS  ARE DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE OF THE VEHICLE AND
 TRAFFIC LAW AND SHALL NOT INCLUDE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS DEFINED IN SUBDI-
 VISION ONE OF SECTION 66-S OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   (B) "HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLE" SHALL MEAN ANY PASSENGER  VEHICLE  WHICH
 DRAWS PROPULSION FROM BOTH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE (OR HEAT ENGINE
 THAT  USES  COMBUSTIBLE  FUEL),  AN  ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE AND EMPLOYS A
 REGENERATIVE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT RECOVERS WASTE ENERGY TO CHARGE
 SUCH ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE.
   2.  NO PERSON SHALL ALLOW OR PERMIT THE ENGINE OF A PASSENGER  VEHICLE
 TO IDLE FOR MORE THAN THREE CONSECUTIVE MINUTES WHEN THE PASSENGER VEHI-
 CLE IS NOT IN MOTION, EXCEPT THAT THIS PROVISION SHALL NOT APPLY WHEN:
   (A)  SUCH  VEHICLE  IS  FORCED TO REMAIN MOTIONLESS BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC
 CONDITIONS OVER WHICH THE OPERATOR THEREOF HAS NO CONTROL;
   (B) REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY A FEDERAL, STATE  OR  LOCAL  AGENCY  HAVING
 JURISDICTION  REQUIRE  THE  MAINTENANCE  OF  A  SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE FOR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00392-01-5
 S. 261                              2
 
 PASSENGER COMFORT, IN WHICH CASE THE IDLING TIME MAY BE INCREASED TO THE
 EXTENT NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH SUCH REGULATIONS;
   (C)  A  HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS IDLING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING
 ENERGY FOR THE BATTERY OR OTHER FORM OF ENERGY STORAGE RECHARGING;
   (D) THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE IS 32 DEGREES  FAHRENHEIT  (0  DEGREES
 CELSIUS) OR LESS;
   (E)  WHEN OPERATION OF THE ENGINE IS REQUIRED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAIN-
 TENANCE;
   (F) SUCH VEHICLE IS IDLING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENSURING THE SAFE  LOAD-
 ING, UNLOADING, OR TRANSPORT OF PERSONS WITH ONE OR MORE DISABILITIES;
   (G) SUCH VEHICLE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE CHILDREN OR PETS; OR
   (H)  SUCH  VEHICLE  IS  A  MILITARY  TACTICAL VEHICLE USED IN MILITARY
 TRAINING OPERATIONS.
   3. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE OPERATION OF  AUTHORIZED  EMER-
 GENCY VEHICLES, AS DEFINED BY SECTION ONE HUNDRED ONE OF THE VEHICLE AND
 TRAFFIC  LAW AND OTHER EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT WHILE PERFORMING
 IN THE SCOPE OF THEIR DUTIES.
   4. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO PREEMPT ANY PROVISION OF
 LOCAL LAW, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTION 24-163 OF THE  ADMINIS-
 TRATIVE  CODE  OF  THE CITY OF NEW YORK, PROVIDED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF
 SUCH LOCAL LAW ARE AT LEAST AS  STRINGENT  AS  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   5. ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY OR INTENTIONALLY VIOLATES ANY PROVISION OF
 THIS  SECTION  SHALL,  UPON  THE  FIRST  FINDING OF SUCH A VIOLATION, BE
 PROVIDED WITH A WARNING THAT FUTURE VIOLATIONS MAY RESULT IN THE IMPOSI-
 TION OF A CIVIL PENALTY.  ANY PERSON CONVICTED OF A SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION
 MAY BE LIABLE FOR A CIVIL  PENALTY  NOT  TO  EXCEED  ONE  HUNDRED  FIFTY
 DOLLARS.
   §  2. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section
 or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of  competent  juris-
 diction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invali-
 date  the  remainder  thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to
 the clause,  sentence,  paragraph,  section  or  part  thereof  directly
 involved  in  the  controversy  in  which  such judgment shall have been
 rendered.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.