What's happening
This bill limits rental car refueling charges to the highest local retail gas price and imposes fines for violations.
Why it matters
Protects consumers from excessive refueling charges. by ensuring rental car companies cannot charge more than the highest local retail gas price, preventing hidden or inflated fees when returning cars with less than a full tank.
Creates clear standards for fuel charge calculations. , requiring companies to document fuel gauge readings at both pick-up and return, which could help resolve disputes and provide transparency for renters.
Imposes meaningful penalties for noncompliance. ($500 per violation), giving rental companies a strong incentive to follow the rules and empowering state regulators to enforce consumer protections effectively.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cap Rental Car Refueling Fees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1527
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to rates charged for rental vehicle refueling
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 396-z of the general business law is amended by adding a new subdivision 16 to read as follows:
16. (a) No rental vehicle company, as part of a rental agreement, shall charge an authorized driver a refueling rate which exceeds the highest retail price of gasoline charged at gasoline stations or convenience stores within a one-half mile radius of such rental vehicle company. Such charge may be imposed when a returned rental vehicle's gasoline tank is not full to capacity, based on the difference between documented reading of such motor vehicle's fuel gauge obtained at the time such motor vehicle was delivered or picked up by such authorized driver, and the subsequent fuel gauge reading taken at the time such rented motor vehicle is returned to the rental vehicle company.
(b) Any violation of the provisions of this subdivision shall be subject to a fine of five hundred dollars per violation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments made to section 396-z of the general business law by section one of this act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such section and shall be deemed to be expired therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00616-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to rates charged for rental vehicle refueling
Summary of provisions
Prohibits any rental vehicle company from charging an authorized driver a refueling rate which exceeds the highest retail price of gasoline charged at gasoline stations or convenience stores within a one-half mile radius of such rental vehicle company. Clarifies that such charge be based on the difference of a documented reading of the motor vehicle's fuel gauge, obtained at the time the vehicle was delivered or picked up by the authorized driver, and the subsequent fuel gauge reading taken when the vehicle is returned to the rental car company. This legislation makes violations subject to a $500 fine per violation.
Justification
Many car rental companies charge a driver a refueling fee when a vehicle is returned without a full tank of gas. Studies by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) reveals that these prices often range anywhere from $2.00 to $5.00 per gallon in certain areas. These amounts have certainly increased with the past years gas price increases.
This legislation will end this type of "price gouging" by placing a limit on the amount a car rental company may charge a consumer for refueling gasoline, and imposes a $500 fine for any violations.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.895 2013-14: S.452 2011-12: S.7188/A.2489 (Jeffries) 2009-10: A.379 (Jeffries) 2007-08: S.4187 (Savino)/A.10095 (Jeffries) 2003-04: S.4644 (Lachman) 2001-01: S.455 (Gentile) 1999-00: S.1867 (Gentile) 1997-98: S.4794 (Gentile)
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments made to section 396-z of the general business law by section one of this act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such section and shall be deemed to be expired therewith.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.