Albany -- With over three million children across New York heading back to school, Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed into law two significant pieces of legislation to help combat New York’s nation topping asthma rates.

The legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Senators Andrew Lanza and Martin Golden will help combat rising levels of pediatric asthma by preventing the idling of school vehicles on school grounds and by requiring schools with nurses to maintain an asthma nebulizer on site for chronic asthmatic children.

Over 2.3 million are being exposed daily to toxic exhaust generated by diesel powered school buses and thousands more are forced to leave school and go to Emergency Rooms or back home for access to asthma medication that can easily be given at school.