S203-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

S203-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S203

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to requiring
automobile dealers display a
"Gallons-Per-Mile (GPM) Fuel Savings Guide"

PURPOSE:
To require posting of a "Gallons-per-Mile (GPM) Fuel Savings Guide"
sign at dealerships selling or leasing new vehicles.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Adds a new section 3-0319 to the environmental
conservation law to require vehicle manufacturers to display a
gallons per thousand miles fuel impact statement. Such guide shall
set forth Miles-per-Gallon (MPG) in increments, the average number of
gallons the vehicle is expected to use when traveling a distance of
one thousand miles, and the cost savings between vehicles.

EXISTING LAW:
New legislation.

JUSTIFICATION:
Gallons-per-miles (GPM) driven is a much more useful measure of fuel
efficiency than the current miles per gallon standard. It enables a
vehicle purchaser to more easily compare the fuel efficiency between
various models of automobiles. This bill, which would require a
prominent notice explaining and showing conversions to gallons per
one thousand miles, will allow consumers to know accurately at a
glance the cost of operating a vehicle over one thousand miles.
Additionally, this allows environmentally conscious consumers to
identify the relative environmental effect of different vehicles.
Encouraging consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles can help
save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy security
and oil dependence costs, and increase energy sustainability. GPM is
an important step in that direction.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2010: S.6141B (Squadron) - Passed Senate, A.9132B (Kavanagh) -
Environmental Conservation
2009: S.6141B (Squadron) - Rules, A.9132B
(Kavanagh) - Environmental Conservation
2012: Referred to Environmental Conservation

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
The first of January next succeeding the date upon
which it shall have become a law.

S203-2013 Text

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

                                     203

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. SQUADRON -- 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
    requiring  automobile  dealers  display a "Gallons-Per-Mile (GPM) Fuel
    Savings Guide"

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


    Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  It  is  the  purpose of this act to
  encourage the purchase of more efficient vehicles through the  provision
  of clear and accessible information to the public regarding cost savings
  and  fuel  usage comparisons between vehicles by emphasizing the gallons
  of gasoline used by a vehicle rather than the number of miles driven.
    S 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
  section 3-0319 to read as follows:

  S 3-0319. CONSUMER FUEL CONSUMPTION INFORMATION.
    1.  THE  DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP A MODEL SIGN WHICH PROVIDES CONSUMER
  FUEL  CONSUMPTION  INFORMATION.  THE  MODEL  SIGN  SHALL   BE   ENTITLED
  "GALLONS-PER-MILE (GPM) FUEL SAVINGS GUIDE". THE MODEL SIGN AND INFORMA-
  TION  REGARDING  POSTING  REQUIREMENTS SHALL BE AVAILABLE ON THE DEPART-
  MENT'S WEBSITE.
    2. THE "GALLONS-PER-MILE (GPM) FUEL SAVINGS GUIDE" SIGN SHALL BEAR THE
  FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

    (A) THE TITLE HEADING "GALLONS-PER-MILE (GPM) FUEL SAVINGS GUIDE" WITH
  A SUBTITLE HEADING "WHY USE GPM?";
    (B) AN EXPLANATION OF HOW TO CALCULATE GPM AND THE PURPOSE OF THE  GPM
  MEASUREMENT;
    (C) A CHART WITH FOUR COLUMNS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

    (I)  MILES-PER-GALLON (MPG) FROM TEN MPG TO FIFTY MPG IN INCREMENTS OF
  FIVE;
    (II) THE CORRESPONDING GALLONS PER ONE THOUSAND MILES;

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00248-01-3

 S. 203                              2

    (III) THE COST OF FUEL PER ONE THOUSAND MILES BASED ON THE MOST RECENT
  UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE PRICE
  OF GAS;
    (IV) THE INCREMENTAL SAVINGS PER ONE THOUSAND MILES AS COMPARED TO THE
  PREVIOUS INCREMENT, BASED ON THE MOST RECENT UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL
  PROTECTION AGENCY'S FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE PRICE OF GAS;
    (D)  SUCH OTHER INFORMATION AS THE DEPARTMENT DEEMS NECESSARY, INCLUD-
  ING APPROPRIATE DISCLAIMERS.
    3. AUTOMOBILE DEALERS THAT OFFER FOR SALE OR LEASE NEW PASSENGER MOTOR
  VEHICLES SHALL DISPLAY THE "GALLONS-PER-MILE (GPM) FUEL  SAVINGS  GUIDE"
  ON  A  SIGN  NOT LESS THAN EIGHTEEN INCHES BY TWENTY-FOUR INCHES IN SIZE
  WITH FONT OF A SIZE NOT LESS THAN ONE INCH IN HEIGHT. THE SIGN SHALL  BE
  DISPLAYED IN A PROMINENT AND CONSPICUOUS LOCATION INSIDE THE DEALERSHIP.
    4.  ANY  AUTOMOBILE  DEALER  WHO  VIOLATES  SUBDIVISION  THREE OF THIS
  SECTION, SHALL UPON THE FIRST VIOLATION BE PROVIDED A  WRITTEN  WARNING,
  AND  SHALL  BE SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENALTY OF NOT MORE THAN FIFTY DOLLARS
  FOR A SECOND VIOLATION AND NOT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS FOR A
  THIRD AND ANY SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION.
    S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
  ing  the  date upon which it shall have become a law; provided, however,
  that subdivision 4 of section 3-0319 of the  environmental  conservation
  law,  as  added  by  section two of this act, shall take effect one year
  after such effective date.