S869-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS

S869-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S869

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the public authorities law, in relation to providing electronic
toll collection discounts for certain fuel efficient vehicles

PURPOSE:
The bill provides owners of vehicles with a high mile per gallon fuel
efficiency a ten percent "Green EZ-Pass discount" on tolls in New
York.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
The bill amends the public authorities law by adding a new section 389
that provides persons that have an electronic toll collection system
account with the New York State Thruway Authority a ten percent
discount on tolls incurred on New York state toll roads, if they
use a motor vehicle which has a highway mile per gallon fuel
efficiency of thirty-five miles per gallon or higher when incurring
such tolls.

JUSTIFICATION:
Transportation remains one of the greatest sources of carbon dioxide
emissions in our society. The promotion of vehicles with high fuel
efficiencies is desirable for environmental, public health, economic,
and energy goals. Incentives should be greater for those vehicles
that have high fuel efficiencies. Persons that utilize the toll roads
of New York should be given incentives to drive vehicles with high
fuel efficiencies. This bill provides encouragement for the greater
use of such vehicles by the public as they travel on New York's
tolled roads.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.4363 of 2007/08; Passed Senate in 2008
S.857 of  2009/10; Referred to Transportation
S.2646A of 2011/12; Referred to Transportation

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it becomes a law. Effective
immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or
regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before
such date.

S869-2013 Text

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

                                     869

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
    and Commissions

  AN  ACT  to  amend  the public authorities law, in relation to providing
    electronic toll collection discounts for certain fuel efficient  vehi-
    cles

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


    Section 1. The public authorities law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
  section 389 to read as follows:

    S  389.  GREEN  E-ZPASS  DISCOUNT. 1. ANY PERSON WHO HAS AN ELECTRONIC
  TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM ACCOUNT WITH THE AUTHORITY SHALL  RECEIVE  A  TEN
  PERCENT  DISCOUNT  ON  TOLLS INCURRED ON NEW YORK STATE TOLL ROADS FOR A
  MOTOR VEHICLE WHICH HAS A HIGHWAY MPG  FUEL  EFFICIENCY  OF  THIRTY-FIVE
  MILES  PER  GALLON OR HIGHER. SUCH DISCOUNT SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE "GREEN
  E-ZPASS DISCOUNT".
    2. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
  ING MEANINGS:

    A. "ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN A SYSTEM OF COLLECT-
  ING TOLLS OR CHARGES WHICH IS CAPABLE OF CHARGING AN ACCOUNT HOLDER  THE
  APPROPRIATE  TOLL OR CHARGE BY TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION FROM AN ELEC-
  TRONIC DEVICE ON A MOTOR VEHICLE TO THE TOLL LANE, WHICH INFORMATION  IS
  USED TO CHARGE THE ACCOUNT THE APPROPRIATE TOLL OR CHARGE; AND
    B.  "HIGHWAY  MPG  FUEL EFFICIENCY" MEANS THE HIGHWAY MILES PER GALLON
  FUEL EFFICIENCY ESTIMATE PROVIDED BY AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS AND PRINT-
  ED ON THE FUEL ECONOMY LABEL AFFIXED TO A WINDOW ON A NEW MOTOR  VEHICLE
  PURSUANT   TO   THE  REGULATIONS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  ENVIRONMENTAL
  PROTECTION AGENCY (40 CFR 600 ET.SEQ.).
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
  tation  of  this  act on its effective date is authorized to be made and
  completed on or before such date.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD04111-01-3