What's happening
This bill prohibits gasoline price increases of more than once in a 24-hour period by refiners and retailers in New York.
Why it matters
Limits rapid price volatility. By restricting gasoline refiners and retailers to only one price increase per 24-hour period, the bill aims to prevent sudden, frequent spikes in fuel prices that can create uncertainty and financial strain for consumers.
Targets both supply chain levels. The legislation covers both refiners (who produce and store fuel) and nonrefiners/retailers (who sell directly to the public), closing loopholes and ensuring the rule applies throughout the distribution chain.
Enforcement and exceptions. Violations can result in civil fines up to $500, but isolated or inadvertent incidents are not penalized—this seeks to balance deterrence with fairness for honest mistakes.
Comprehensive definitions. The bill carefully defines key terms like “motor fuel,” “refiner,” and “retail outlet,” ensuring broad coverage and reducing ambiguity about what products and entities are affected, which may help avoid legal loopholes.
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Who cares
Gas station operators
Nonrefiner retailers would be barred from raising the price of any grade or quality of motor fuel more than once in a twenty-four-hour period.
Motor fuel refiners and their affiliates and agents
They would face the same limit on price increases for motor fuel sold, with wholesale product exchanges excluded from the definition of a sale.
City corporation counsels and designated local attorneys
They would collect civil fines of up to $500 for violations, while isolated, inadvertent incidents would not count as violations.
Drivers buying motor fuel
They would face no more than one price increase per grade or quality within twenty-four hours, except for isolated, inadvertent incidents.
Headline styles
Limit Gas Price Hikes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
6 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4667
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting more than one increase in the price of gasoline in any twenty-four hour period
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 392-k to read as follows:
§ 392-k. Unlawful motor fuel price increases; exceptions. 1. (a) It shall be unlawful for any nonrefiner engaged in commerce in this state to increase the price of any grade or quality of motor fuel sold at a retail outlet more than once in a twenty-four hour period.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any refiner, including any affiliate or agent thereof, engaged in commerce in this state to increase the price of any grade or quality of motor fuel sold more than once in a twentyfour hour period.
2. (a) Any violation of this section shall result in a civil fine of not more than five hundred dollars to be collected by the corporation counsel for any city or by the appropriate attorney of any political subdivision as shall be designated by the governing body of such political subdivision.
(b) An isolated, inadvertent incident involving activity prohibited pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall not be a violation of this section.
3. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "motor fuel" shall mean (i) all products commonly or commercially known or sold as gasoline (including casinghead and absorption or natural gasoline), benzol, benzene, or naphtha regardless of their classification or uses; and (ii) any liquid prepared, advertised, offered
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07931-01-9
A. 4667 2
for sale or sold for use as or commonly and commercially used as a fuel in internal combustion engines, which when subjected to distillation in accordance with the standard method of test for distillation of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and similar petroleum products (American Society of Testing Material Designation D-86) shows not less than ten per centum (10%) distilled recovered below three hundred forty-seven degrees fahrenheit or one hundred seventy-five degrees centigrade and not less than ninety-five per centum distilled, recovered below four hundred sixty-four degrees fahrenheit or two hundred forty degrees centigrade; and (iii) any other product or liquid when sold for use as a fuel in any type of internal combustion engine furnishing power to operate a motor vehicle.
(b) "nonrefiner" means any person, other than a refiner, engaged in the sale of motor fuel;
(c) "person" means any individual, public or private corporations or limited liability corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint stock companies, the United States, the state of New York and any of its political subdivisions or agents;
(d) "refiner" means any person who produces and stores or exchanges motor fuel at a terminal facility and who sells or transfers motor fuel through the loading rack at such terminal facility, and includes an affiliate of such refiner with respect to such affiliate's sale of motor fuel;
(e) "retail outlet" means a facility, including land and improvements, where motor fuel is offered for sale at retail to the public; and
(f) "sale" or "sell" means any transfer, gift, barter, sale, offer for sale, or advertisement for sale in any manner or by any means whatsoever, including any transfer of motor fuel from a person to itself or an affiliate at another level of distribution, but does not include product exchanges at the wholesale level of distribution.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.