Relates to updating the fire safety components of school buses; requires the commissioner of transportation to promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards for testing to promote the fire safety of school buses; further requires all plastic components contained in the engine compartment of every school bus manufactured in this state on or after January 1, 2014 to meet V-0 classification when tested in accordance with Underwriters Laboratories standards for safety UL 94.

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A8039-2011 Actions

• May 27, 2011: referred to transportation

A8039-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    8039

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  ASSEMBLY

                                May 27, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by M. of A. SPANO -- read once and referred to the Committee
    on Transportation

  AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to updating the
    fire safety components of school buses

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.   Section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
  adding two new subdivisions 21-j and 21-k to read as follows:

    21-J. (A) EVERY SCHOOL BUS MANUFACTURED FOR USE IN THIS  STATE  ON  OR
  AFTER  JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN SHALL CONTAIN OCCUPANT SEAT-
  ING WHICH MEETS THE FIRE SAFETY CRITERIA OF  THE  AMERICAN  SOCIETY  FOR
  TESTING MATERIALS TEST E 1537.
    (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  TRANSPORTATION  SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND
  REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TESTING TO PROMOTE THE FIRE SAFE-
  TY OF SCHOOL BUSES AND SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING
  REQUIREMENTS:

    1. THAT WHEN THE TEST IS CONDUCTED ON A COMPLETE SEAT ASSEMBLY  INSIDE
  A  TEST ROOM OR A SCHOOL BUS THAT THE SEATING WILL FAIL THE REQUIREMENTS
  OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION IF EITHER THE SEAT ASSEMBLY  EXHIB-
  ITS  A  WEIGHT  LOSS  OF  THREE  POUNDS  OR GREATER DURING THE FIRST TEN
  MINUTES OF THE TEST OR THE SEAT ASSEMBLY EXHIBITS A HEAT RELEASE RATE OF
  EIGHTY KILOWATTS OR GREATER.
    2. THAT ON AND AFTER THE DATE THE FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS TAKE EFFECT IN
  ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION NO SCHOOL BUS SHALL BE SOLD OR  OFFERED
  FOR  SALE  IN  THIS  STATE UNLESS THE MANUFACTURER HAS CERTIFIED TO SUCH
  COMMISSIONER, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO SUCH COMMISSIONER, THAT  THE  FIRE
  SAFETY CRITERIA STANDARDS PRESCRIBED BY THIS SUBDIVISION HAVE BEEN MET.
    21-K.  (A)  ALL PLASTIC COMPONENTS CONTAINED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
  OF EVERY SCHOOL BUS MANUFACTURED FOR USE IN THIS STATE ON OR AFTER JANU-
  ARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN SHALL MEET A  V-0  CLASSIFICATION  WHEN

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD09802-01-1

 A. 8039                             2

  TESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES STANDARDS FOR SAFETY
  UL 94.
    (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  TRANSPORTATION  SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND
  REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TESTING OF PLASTIC ENGINE  COMPO-
  NENTS  AS  REQUIRED  BY PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION TO PROMOTE THE
  FIRE SAFETY OF SCHOOL BUSES AND SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO  THE
  FOLLOWING REQUIREMENT: THAT ON AND AFTER THE DATE THE FIRE SAFETY STAND-
  ARDS TAKE EFFECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION NO SCHOOL BUS SHALL
  BE  SOLD  OR  OFFERED FOR SALE IN THIS STATE UNLESS THE MANUFACTURER HAS
  CERTIFIED TO SUCH COMMISSIONER, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO SUCH COMMISSION-
  ER, THAT THE FIRE SAFETY CRITERIA STANDARDS PRESCRIBED BY THIS  SUBDIVI-
  SION HAVE BEEN MET.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.