§ 5-108. Purchase of passenger automobiles. a. The commissioner, in
consultation with the commissioner of the office of general services,
shall promulgate rules and regulations which shall require, at a
minimum, that all passenger automobiles purchased by or for the state or
any agency or public authority thereof, of which a majority of the
members are appointed by the governor, in any fiscal year which
commences on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-one, achieve
an average fuel economy not less than the applicable average fuel
economy standard established pursuant to the provisions of this section
for the model year which includes January first of such fiscal year.

b. The commissioner, in consultation with the office of general
services, shall be further authorized to establish minimum fuel economy
standards for different classes of passenger automobiles, as
appropriate, which shall be applicable to such vehicles purchased by or
for the state or any agency or public authority thereof subject to the
requirements of subdivision a of this section.

c. As used in this section:

(1) The term "passenger automobile" means any four wheeled vehicle
propelled by fuel which is manufactured for use on public streets, roads
and highways, which is rated at six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight
or less, and which the commissioner determines by rule is manufactured
primarily for use in the transportation of not more than ten
individuals.

(2) The term "passenger automobile" shall not include police, fire, or
other emergency vehicles, as defined by the commissioner, or snow
removal, salt-spreader, and garbage disposal vehicles, or any vehicles
which the commissioner determines, by regulation, should be excluded
from being defined as "passenger vehicles".

(3) The term "average fuel economy" means the total number of
passenger automobiles acquired in a fiscal year to which this section
applies divided by a sum of terms, each term of which is a fraction
created by dividing (i) the number of passenger automobiles so acquired
of a given model type, by (ii) the rated fuel economy of such model type
as determined and published by the federal agency with jurisdiction over
the determination and publication of such fuel economy ratings during
that fiscal year.

(4) The term "average fuel economy standard" means the average miles
per gallon to be achieved in the operation of passenger automobiles
manufactured in a particular model year and shall be as follows:
Model year Fuel economy standard

(miles per gallon)

1981 ................................................... 22.0

1982 ................................................... 24.0

1983 ................................................... 26.0

1984 ................................................... 27.0

1985 ................................................... 27.5

1991 and thereafter .................................... 29.0