Section 56-0605. Clean-fueled buses projects

1.  The  New  York  state energy research and development authority in
  cooperation with the department of transportation is authorized to  make
  state assistance payments to "clean-fueled buses projects".
    2. For the purposes of this section, the term "clean-fueled bus" shall
  mean  any  motor  vehicle  having  a seating capacity of fifteen or more
  passengers in addition to the driver and used for the transportation  of
  persons  on  public  highways, that is fueled by compressed natural gas,
  propane, methanol, hydrogen, biodiesel or ethanol, or uses  electricity,
  including  electricity  generated  from  solar  energy, either stored or
  generated on-board, as its primary motive force.  For  the  purposes  of
  this  section,  the  term  "diesel-fueled school bus retrofit equipment"
  shall mean equipment and/or technologies, including, but not limited to,
  particulate traps  or  filters  and  catalytic  converters  that  reduce
  emissions  of  particulate  matter,  hydrocarbons,  oxides  of nitrogen,
  carbon monoxide, or toxic air pollutants.
    3.  Any  municipality,  state  agency  or  department,  state   public
  authority,  or  school district upon the approval of its governing body,
  may submit  an  application  to  the  authority,  in  such  a  form  and
  containing  such  information  as  the  authority may require, for state
  assistance payments toward  the  cost  of  acquisition  of  clean-fueled
  buses,  purchase  and  installation of diesel-fueled school bus retrofit
  equipment  on  diesel-fueled  school  buses  and  for  installation   of
  infrastructure,  including  depot  construction directly associated with
  such acquisitions.  The authority shall suballocate  to  the  department
  such  funds as are necessary for the development of a single facility to
  evaluate heavy duty vehicle emissions.
    4. The authority shall  review  such  application,  and  may  approve,
  disapprove or recommend modifications thereto consistent with applicable
  law,  criteria,  standards  or  rules  and  regulations relative to such
  application. Reasons for disapproval shall be provided to the  applicant
  in writing.
    5.   After   approval  of  the  application,  the  authority  and  the
  municipality, state agency or department,  state  public  authority,  or
  school  district  shall  enter  into  a  contract  for  state assistance
  payments towards the cost  of  such  project  which  shall  include  the
  following provisions:
    (a) A current estimate of the cost of the project as determined by the
  authority at the time of the execution of the contract;
    (b)  An  agreement  by the authority to make state assistance payments
  towards the cost of the project; and
    (c) An agreement by the  municipality,  state  agency  or  department,
  state public authority, or school district to proceed expeditiously with
  the  project  and  to  complete  the  project  in  accordance with plans
  approved by the  authority  and  provide  reports  as  required  by  the
  authority.