AGENCY TESTIMONY
Concerns about proposed idling violations legislation
0:19:18
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91 sec
Paul Rush expresses significant concerns about the pre-considered bill that would transfer liability for certain engine idling violations from vehicle owners to lessees.
- DEP is worried that relieving truck owners of financial responsibility could undermine the strength of the program and the efficacy of cure provisions.
- The current system relies on idling penalties to incentivize vehicle owners to install anti-idling technology or invest in electric vehicles.
- Transferring liability might make sense in cases where an owner has installed anti-idling technology and the driver has disabled it, but is not considered good policy generally.
- DEP is unsure how such a program would work and wants to better understand the council's vision.
Paul Rush
0:19:18
There are 2 pre considered pieces of legislation being heard today.
0:19:23
The first bill would establish a program that transfers liability for certain engine idling violations from lessees of vehicles.
0:19:30
We have significant concerns about this bill.
0:19:34
We're concerned that relieving truck owners of financial responsibility for idling violations could undermine the strength of the program, particularly the efficacy of the cure provisions that we have been working together to develop and hope to enact in the near future.
0:19:53
The cure opportunity relies on the idling penalty to incentivize vehicle owners to install anti idling technology or invest in electric vehicles.
0:20:03
If owners are not responsible for paying the fine, there is no financial benefit to them to make these anti idling investments.
0:20:12
Transferring liability could make sense in case when an owner has installed anti idling technology and the driver has disabled it.
0:20:22
But we do not think transferring liability is a good policy generally.
0:20:27
We have been working closely with the council and advocates to develop a cure policy.
0:20:33
We do not want to undermine that policy before it is even passed.
0:20:38
In addition, we are not sure how such a program would work, so we'd like to understand better what the council is envisioning.
0:20:45
The law department is also reviewing the bill, and they have additional concerns.
