Section 20-376. Inspection of sight-seeing buses

a. A vehicle shall be
  licensed as a sight-seeing bus only after it shall  have  been  examined
  and  inspected to determine that it complies with this section, and that
  it also (1) complies with  all  the  requirements  of  the  vehicle  and
  traffic  law  of  the  state  of  New  York, and (2) is certified by the
  department of transportation of the state, as being  safe  and  properly
  equipped to operate.
    b.  (1)  On  and after the effective date of the local law which added
  this amendment, the commissioner shall  not  issue  a  sight-seeing  bus
  license  to  any  vehicle  that  when  originally  manufactured  was not
  equipped with an engine covered by a certificate of conformity unless an
  engine covered by  a  certificate  of  conformity  for  the  model  year
  applicable  to  the date on which a sight-seeing bus license application
  for such bus is submitted to the commissioner,  has  been  installed  in
  such vehicle.
    (2)  The  commissioner shall not renew the license of any sight-seeing
  bus that was licensed as of the date of the introduction  of  the  local
  law  which  added  this amendment and that when originally manufactured,
  was not equipped with an engine covered by a certificate  of  conformity
  unless an engine covered by a certificate of conformity for a model year
  no earlier than the model year applicable to the date on which the local
  law  which  added  this  amendment was introduced, has been installed in
  such bus.
    (3) The commissioner shall not renew the license of  any  sight-seeing
  bus  that  was  first  issued a sight-seeing bus license on or after the
  date of introduction of the local law  that  added  this  amendment  and
  before  the  effective  date  of  such  law  and  that,  when originally
  manufactured, was not equipped with an engine covered by  a  certificate
  of  conformity,  unless an engine covered by a certificate of conformity
  for a model year no earlier than the model year applicable to  the  date
  on which the first sight-seeing bus license renewal application for such
  bus is submitted to the commissioner, has been installed in such bus.
    c. The commissioner shall refuse a license to any sight-seeing bus not
  in   compliance  with  the  requirements  of  this  section,  any  rules
  promulgated thereunder  or  with  any  other  laws  or  rules  governing
  sight-seeing  buses,  or  which  is  otherwise  found  to  be  unfit for
  operation. Grounds for refusal to issue a license shall include, but not
  be limited to, installation  of  an  engine  which  does  not  meet  the
  requirements  of  subdivision b of this section, failure to submit a bus
  or records pertaining to the operation and maintenance of such  bus  for
  inspection,  installation  of  an engine not covered by a certificate of
  conformity in a vehicle which was originally manufactured with  such  an
  engine,  installation  of an engine of any model year preceding the year
  of manufacture in a vehicle which was originally  manufactured  with  an
  engine  covered  by  a certificate of conformity and being found to have
  violated the requirements for  diesel  fuel-powered  sight-seeing  buses
  contained in section 24-163.6 of the administrative code.
    d.  The  commissioner  may adopt rules (1) requiring the inspection by
  the department of sight-seeing buses and/or records  pertaining  to  the
  operation and maintenance of such buses to determine compliance with the
  requirements  of  subdivision  b of this section and section 24-163.6 of
  the  administrative  code;  (2)  delegating  the  performance  of   such
  inspections  to  the  department  of  environmental  protection; and (3)
  authorizing the acceptance of the results of inspections consistent with
  paragraph one of this subdivision conducted by a state or federal agency
  authorized to conduct such inspections on such buses.