II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 670 

To authorize States and their political subdivisions to regulate fuel economy 

and emissions standards for taxicabs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 29, 2011 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To authorize States and their political subdivisions to 

regulate fuel economy and emissions standards for taxicabs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Green Taxis Act of 

5 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. STATE FUEL ECONOMY REGULATION FOR TAXI7 CABS. 

8 Section 32919 of title 49, United States Code, is 

9 amended— 


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1 (a) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘When’’ and insert2 ing ‘‘Except as provided under subsection (d), when’’; and 

3 (b) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(d) TAXICABS.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), a 

5 State or political subdivision of a State may prescribe fuel 

6 economy requirements for taxicabs and other automobiles 

7 if— 

8 ‘‘(1) such requirements are at least as stringent 

9 as applicable Federal requirements; and 

10 ‘‘(2) such taxicabs and other automobiles— 

11 ‘‘(A) are automobiles that are capable of 

12 transporting not more than 10 individuals, in13 cluding the driver; 

14 ‘‘(B) are commercially available or are de15 signed and manufactured pursuant to a con16 tract with such State or political subdivision of 

17 such State; 

18 ‘‘(C) are operated for hire pursuant to an 

19 operating or regulatory license, permit, or other 

20 authorization issued by such State or political 

21 subdivision of such State; 

22 ‘‘(D) provide local transportation for a fare 

23 determined on the basis of the time or distance 

24 traveled or a combination of time and distance 

25 traveled; and 


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1 ‘‘(E) do not exclusively provide transpor2 tation to and from airports.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. STATE REGULATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE EMIS4 SIONS FOR TAXICABS. 

5 Section 209 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7543) 

6 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(f) TAXICABS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) EMISSION STANDARDS.—Notwithstanding 

9 subsection (a), a State or political subdivision of a 

10 State may adopt and enforce standards for the con11 trol of emissions from new motor vehicles that are 

12 taxicabs and other vehicles if such standards will be, 

13 in the aggregate, at least as protective of public 

14 health and welfare as applicable Federal standards 

15 and if such taxicabs and other vehicles— 

16 ‘‘(A) are passenger motor vehicles that are 

17 capable of transporting not more than 10 indi18 viduals, including the driver; 

19 ‘‘(B) are commercially available or are de20 signed and manufactured pursuant to a con21 tract with such State or political subdivision 

22 thereof; 

23 ‘‘(C) are operated for hire pursuant to an 

24 operating or regulatory license, permit, or other 


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1 authorization issued by such State or political 

2 subdivision thereof; 

3 ‘‘(D) provide local transportation for a fare 

4 determined on the basis of the time or distance 

5 traveled or a combination of time and distance 

6 traveled; and 

7 ‘‘(E) do not exclusively provide transpor8 tation to and from airports. 

9 ‘‘(2) EVALUATION OF STANDARDS.—If each 

10 standard of a State or a political subdivision of a 

11 State is at least as stringent as the comparable ap12 plicable Federal standard, such standard of such 

13 State or political subdivision of such State shall be 

14 deemed at least as protective of health and welfare 

15 as such Federal standards for purposes of this sub16 section.’’. 

Æ 


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