Bill Text: NY S07546 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires signs to be posted at gasoline stations for consumers to contact the department of state regarding price or product problems.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-05-15 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE [S07546 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S07546-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7546
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     May 15, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
       AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the  executive  law,
         in  relation  to  protecting  consumers from price gouging and product
         tampering of gasoline
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 5 of section 192 of the agricul-
    2  ture  and markets law, as amended by chapter 101 of the laws of 1986, is
    3  amended to read as follows:
    4    a. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to sell or
    5  offer for sale at retail for use in internal combustion engines in motor
    6  vehicles or motorboats any motor fuel unless such seller shall:
    7    (i) post and keep posted on the  dispensing  device  from  which  such
    8  motor  fuel  is  sold  or  offered  for sale a sign or placard, at least
    9  twelve inches in height and at least twelve  inches  in  width,  stating
   10  clearly and legibly with the whole cent numerals at least nine inches in
   11  height and at least two inches in width, the selling price per gallon of
   12  such motor fuel; or
   13    (ii)  where  such  individual pump or dispensing device dispenses more
   14  than two differently priced grades of motor fuel, only the  highest  and
   15  lowest  selling  price per gallon of such motor fuel dispensed therefrom
   16  must be posted thereon in conformance with all other provisions of  this
   17  subdivision; or
   18    (iii)  where  a  multiple  product  dispensing  device  is  capable of
   19  dispensing multiple products at multiple prices, then the selling  price
   20  per  gallon  may  be posted thereon with numerals at least one-half that
   21  height and one-half that width required  by  subparagraph  (i)  of  this
   22  paragraph,  although  numerals  representing  tenths  of  a  cent may be
   23  displayed at no less than one-half those dimensions which  disclose  the
   24  selling price per gallon of such motor fuel dispensed therefrom;
   25    (IV)  POST  AND  KEEP  POSTED ON THE DISPENSING DEVICE FROM WHICH SUCH
   26  MOTOR FUEL IS SOLD OR OFFERED FOR SALE A SIGN OR PLACARD, OF A  SIZE  TO
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03834-07-4
       S. 7546                             2
    1  BE  DETERMINED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  STATING  CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY, IN
    2  SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR FORM:
    3    NOTICE  TO CONSUMERS: IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT REGARDING THIS BUSINESS,
    4  YOU MAY CALL THE FOLLOWING TOLL-FREE NEW YORK STATE HOTLINE: (INSERT THE
    5  CURRENT TELEPHONE NUMBER ESTABLISHED BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE  FOR
    6  RECEIVING COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH 16 OF PARA-
    7  GRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION 3 OF SECTION 94-A OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW).
    8    The signs and selling prices shall be posted so as to be clearly visi-
    9  ble  to  the  driver  of  an approaching motor vehicle or motorboat. The
   10  name, trade name, brand, mark or symbol, and grade  of  quality  classi-
   11  fication,  if  any  of such motor fuel shall be permanently imprinted on
   12  said motor fuel dispensing device. The provisions  of  this  subdivision
   13  shall  not  apply  to  a city, county, town or village which has already
   14  enacted and continues in effect a local law, ordinance,  rule  or  regu-
   15  lation  in  substantial conformity with this subdivision. The provisions
   16  of this subdivision shall be enforced in the counties outside  the  city
   17  of  New  York by the county or city director of weights and measures, as
   18  the case may be, and in the city  of  New  York  by  the  department  of
   19  consumer  affairs.   THE COMMISSIONER, BY RULE, SHALL ESTABLISH THE SIZE
   20  OF THE SIGN OR PLACARD REQUIRED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (IV)  OF  THIS  PARA-
   21  GRAPH.
   22    S 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 94-a of the executive law
   23  is amended by adding a new subparagraph 16 to read as follows:
   24    (16)  (I) NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ESTABLISH
   25  A TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR RECEIVING  COMPLAINTS  RELATED  TO  THE
   26  RETAIL  SALE  OF  MOTOR  FUEL.  THE  TOLL-FREE NUMBER MAY BE AN EXISTING
   27  NUMBER ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE  FOR  RECEIVING  INQUIRIES
   28  FROM CONSUMERS.
   29    (II) EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, UPON RECEIPT OF A COMPLAINT
   30  FROM  A  CONSUMER  THROUGH  MEANS OF THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER ESTABLISHED IN
   31  CLAUSE (I) OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH, SHALL  FORWARD  THE  CONTENTS  OF  SUCH
   32  COMPLAINT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS AND THE APPROPRI-
   33  ATE MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
   34    S  3. This act shall take effect April 1, 2015; except that clause (i)
   35  of subparagraph 16 of paragraph a of subdivision 3 of  section  94-a  of
   36  the  executive  law,  as  added  by  section two of this act, shall take
   37  effect immediately; provided further that,  effective  immediately,  any
   38  rules  and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act
   39  on its effective date are authorized and directed to be amended, promul-
   40  gated and/or repealed on or before such date.
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