A 1185: Provides that NYSERDA shall establish a program to provide new e-bikes at reduced or no cost in exchange for used unsafe e-bikes to certain delivery service workers; provides eligibility requirements to receive a reduced or no-cost e-bike under such program; requires e-bikes provided pursuant to such program be certified for compliance with certain safety standards; requires NYSERDA to collaborate with relevant agencies to inform eligible individuals about such program; and requires NYSERDA to submit an annual report on such program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1185 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. TAPIA, DAVILA, DINOWITZ, SEAWRIGHT, HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing a lithium-ion battery safety program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 27 to read as follows: 3 27. Lithium-ion battery safety program. (a) For purposes of this 4 subdivision, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 5 (i) "Lithium-ion battery" means a storage battery in which an elec- 6 trical current is generated by lithium ions embedded in a carbon 7 graphite or nickel metal-oxide substrate placed in a high-viscosity 8 carbonate mixture or gelled polymer electrolyte. 9 (ii) "Powered mobility device" means a bicycle with electric assist as 10 defined by section one hundred two-c of the vehicle and traffic law, an 11 electric scooter as defined by section one hundred fourteen-e of the 12 vehicle and traffic law, a limited use motorcycle as defined by section 13 one hundred twenty-one-b of the vehicle and traffic law, which is 14 powered wholly or partially by an electric motor, an electric personal 15 assistive mobility device as defined in section one hundred fourteen-d 16 of the vehicle and traffic law or other personal mobility device 17 equipped with a lithium-ion or other storage battery, including but not 18 limited to, a skateboard, unicycle, or other similar wheeled device. 19 (iii) "Accredited testing laboratory" means a nationally recognized 20 testing laboratory as recognized by the federal occupational safety and 21 health administration or an independent laboratory that has been certi- 22 fied by an accrediting body to ISO 17025 or ISO 17065. 23 (b) No later than one year after the effective date of this subdivi- 24 sion, the authority, in collaboration with the department of environ- 25 mental conservation and any other appropriate agency, shall develop and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02631-01-5 
 A. 1185 2 1 administer a program to provide rebates or new lithium-ion batteries for 2 powered mobility devices at reduced cost or no cost to eligible individ- 3 uals. 4 (c) The program created pursuant to this subdivision shall include 5 either rebates or the exchange of new lithium-ion batteries for used 6 lithium-ion batteries. 7 (d) Within one year of the effective date of this subdivision, the 8 authority shall implement and administer this subdivision including 9 promulgating rules relating to the forms required to claim a rebate or 10 exchange a lithium-ion battery, the required documentation for estab- 11 lishing eligibility, procedures and guidelines for claiming a rebate or 12 exchanging a lithium-ion battery, and the collection of economic impact 13 data from applicants and any other requirements the authority deems 14 necessary. 15 (e) All new batteries provided pursuant to such program shall be 16 certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compliance with a 17 battery standard referenced in UL 2849, UL 2271, UL 2272 or EN 15194, or 18 such other safety standard approved by the department of state pursuant 19 to regulation. Such certification or the logo, wordmark, or name of such 20 accredited testing laboratory must be displayed on packaging or documen- 21 tation at the time of sale for the product or directly on the product 22 itself. 23 (f) No later than April first, two thousand twenty-six, and annually 24 thereafter, the authority shall issue a report to the governor, the 25 temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly 26 detailing the status of the program created under this subdivision. Such 27 report shall at a minimum include: 28 (i) the amount of funding dedicated by the authority for such program 29 in the preceding year; 30 (ii) the number of rebates awarded; 31 (iii) the number of exchanges provided; 32 (iv) the amount and geographic distribution of rebates; and 33 (v) any other information the authority deems necessary. 34 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.