Senate Bill S8073

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8073

SPONSOR: RHOADS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
exempting school buses from certain regulations on the percentage of
zero-emission vehicles in manufacturers' sales fleets

 
PURPOSE:

To amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to exempting
school buses from certain regulations on the percentage of zero emission
vehicles in manufactures' sales fleet.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 19-0306-b of the environmental conservation law is
amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:

6. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, no
regulation relating to the percentage of zero-emission vehicles in manu-
              

factures' sales fleets of medium-duty and heavy duty vehicles estab-
lished or enforced pursuant to the provisions of this section shall
apply to school buses.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This bill exempts school buses from regulations relating to the percent-
age of zero-emission vehicles in manufacturers' sales fleets of medium-
duty and heavy-duty vehicles. New York's mandate, which goes into effect
in 2027, requires all new school buses purchased in New York to be zero-
emission, and that all buses in a school's fleet be fully electric by
2035. This mandate is fiscally irresponsible, unviable, and unrealistic.

School districts have expressed concern over their ability to afford
this mandate. Not only is the cost of obtaining these zero-emission
buses high, but districts are also responsible for paying for the
construction and maintenance of the infrastructure required to charge
the buses. Schools are already struggling to balance their budgets to
offer their students valuable education. Money has been made available
to school districts to help them cover the cost of this transition, but
it is nowhere near the amount needed. This gap in funding will lead to
schools cutting programs to meet this mandate.  This requirement forces
school districts to choose buses over education, teachers, and students,
when schools already have fleets that get the job done.

The viability of zero-emission buses is another concern. New York is a
regionally diverse state made up of urban, suburban, and rural communi-
ties. Rural school districts have expressed concerns that these new
school buses will not be able to complete the longer routes they must
trek due to the greater distance covered by each district.  The new
state budget provides a waiver process that would allow districts to
extend a four-yearxeXtension on meeting these zero-emission require-
ments. Requiring school 8uses to be included in manufacture sales fleets
is counterproductive until the technology matches the cost, safety and
range needs of school districts.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.