An Act amending the act of October 9, 2008 (P.L.1511, No.124), known as the Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act, further providing for penalties.
Summary
HB954 amends Pennsylvania’s Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act to revise the penalty provision for violations. Under current law, the act applies to diesel-powered motor vehicles with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more engaged in commerce, and it also references the owner or operator of a location where such vehicles load, unload, or park. This bill removes the location-owner/operator language from the penalty section, narrowing the penalty provision to the driver or owner of the covered diesel vehicle itself.
The bill keeps violations as summary offenses and retains the same fine range: not less than $150 and not more than $300, plus court costs. It does not change the underlying idling restrictions, only the penalty language tied to enforcement. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
HB954 would amend the state’s existing diesel idling law by narrowing who is expressly subject to the penalty provision, eliminating the reference to owners or operators of facilities where covered trucks load, unload, or park. The practical effect is to focus enforcement on drivers and owners of diesel-powered commercial vehicles over 10,001 pounds, while leaving the fine structure and the idling restrictions themselves unchanged. It would affect trucking operators, vehicle owners, and potentially facility operators by reducing their direct exposure under the penalty section.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a targeted technical or enforcement-related amendment rather than a broadly controversial policy change. The sponsorship suggests support from the bill’s introducers for clarifying or narrowing penalty liability. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the supplied context.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the removal of liability language for owners or operators of locations where diesel vehicles load, unload, or park. Supporters may view this as a clarification that penalties should apply to the vehicle operator or owner rather than to third-party facilities, while critics could argue it weakens enforcement by limiting accountability for sites that facilitate idling. Because no committee transcript or vote record was provided, no specific member or stakeholder positions are available.
Further providing for identification requirements for sale of scrap materials to scrap processors and recycling facility operators and for penalties; and imposing penalties.