Directs the New York state energy research and development authority to establish a ride clean rebate program for electric assist bicycles and electric scooters; defines terms; provides a fifty percent rebate for eligible purchases.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A281
SPONSOR: Carroll R TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to directing the
New York state energy research and development authority to establish a
ride clean rebate program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:.
Directs NYSERDA to establish a ride clean rebate program to encourage
the use of electric bikes and scooters across New York State.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 directs the New York State Research and Development Authority
(NYSERDA) to develop a ride clean rebate program to allow class one,
class two, and class three bicycles with electric assists and electric
scooters to be eligible for a 50% rebate up to $1,100 USD. Eligible
bikes must be certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compli-
ance with safe battery standards. NYSERDA is required to submit a report
annually to the Legislature on the status of the program.
Section 2 sets the effective date as immediately, but provides for one-
year from this date for NYSERDA to promulgate rules and prepare for
implementation.
JUSTIFICATION:
E-bikes and electric cars are part of the low-carbon mobility future.
Given that seventy-five percent of auto trips and fifty-five percent of
transit trips in NYC are under five miles, this rebate would encourage
more New Yorkers to purchase and utilize e-bikes removing congestion,
traffic, and harmful emissions from our roads and air.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.10974/S.9019 of 2019-20
A516A/S.3030A of 2021-22
A.275A/S.314A of 2023-24; passed Energy Committee, referred to Ways and
Means; passed Senate
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
281
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. R. CARROLL, SIMON, ANDERSON, JACKSON, MAMDANI,
HYNDMAN, MITAYNES, ROSENTHAL, KELLES, GALLAGHER, FORREST, SANTABAR-
BARA, OTIS, COLTON, HUNTER, SHRESTHA, SIMONE, RAJKUMAR, LUNSFORD,
BURDICK, BENEDETTO, STECK, SEAWRIGHT, DURSO, GANDOLFO, ROZIC, STERN,
JACOBSON, HEVESI, KIM, SHIMSKY, BARRETT, DINOWITZ, RA, CUNNINGHAM,
PAULIN, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SLATER, TAYLOR, LAVINE, SAYEGH, LEVENBERG,
DE LOS SANTOS, REYES, RAGA, CONRAD, NOVAKHOV, WEPRIN, LUPARDO, JONES,
TAPIA, McMAHON, STIRPE, MEEKS, CLARK, BENDETT, K. BROWN, BLUMENCRANZ,
WOERNER, GIBBS, EPSTEIN, McDONOUGH, JENSEN, BRONSON, WALKER -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to directing the
New York state energy research and development authority to establish
a ride clean rebate program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new
2 section 1885 to read as follows:
3 § 1885. Ride clean rebate program. 1. For purposes of this section
4 "eligible purchase" shall mean the purchase of a bicycle with electric
5 assist, as defined in section one hundred two-c of the vehicle and traf-
6 fic law, or the purchase of an electric scooter, as defined in section
7 one hundred fourteen-e of the vehicle and traffic law, that: (a) has not
8 been modified from the original manufacturer's specifications; (b) uses
9 a battery that has been certified by an accredited testing laboratory
10 for compliance with a battery standard; and (c) such certification or
11 the logo, wordmark, or name of such accredited testing laboratory shall
12 be displayed on packaging or documentation at the time of sale for the
13 product or directly on the product itself.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00296-01-5
A. 281 2
1 2. The authority shall develop a program, entitled the ride clean
2 rebate program, to encourage the deployment of bicycles with an electric
3 assist and electric scooters.
4 3. The program created pursuant to this section shall include a fifty
5 percent rebate, for eligible purchases, provided that a rebate for an
6 eligible purchase shall not exceed one thousand one hundred dollars
7 ($1,100).
8 4. No later than one year from the effective date of this section, the
9 authority shall implement and administer this section including rules
10 relating to the forms required to claim a rebate, the required documen-
11 tation for establishing eligibility for a rebate, procedures and guide-
12 lines for claiming a rebate, and the collection of economic impact data
13 from applicants and any other requirements the authority deems neces-
14 sary. The authority shall determine and publish on its website on an
15 ongoing basis the amount of available funding for rebates remaining in
16 each fiscal year.
17 5. No later than April first, two thousand twenty-seven and annually
18 thereafter, the authority shall issue a report to the temporary presi-
19 dent of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate
20 committee on energy and telecommunications and the chair of the assembly
21 committee on energy detailing the status of its program to encourage the
22 deployment of bicycles with an electric assist and electric scooters.
23 Such report shall include:
24 a. the amount of funding dedicated by the authority for the program in
25 the preceding year;
26 b. the amount of eligible purchases for which a rebate was awarded;
27 c. the amount and geographic distribution of rebates; and
28 d. any other information the authority deems necessary.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
