Bill would make it illegal for trucks to idle for more than three minutes in New York State

The New York State Legislature is considering a bill that would substantially decrease the current legal idling time limit for heavy duty trucks.

Senate Bill S3119 was introduced in the New York State Senate’s 2021-2022 Legislative Session by Sen. Brian Kavanagh.

Under current New York State idling law, heavy duty vehicles, including non-diesel and diesel trucks and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds, may not idle for more than five minutes at a time. Fines for a first violation range from $500 to $18,000.

The bill would decrease the amount of allowable idling time from five minutes to just three consecutive minutes in an attempt to curb air pollution.

The sponsor memo indicates that “reasonable exceptions” would be allowed “while ensuring that unnecessary idling is curtailed.”

The bill is currently in the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.