Bill Text: CA AB627 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 627

Bill Title: Drayage trucks: voucher incentive project.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-06-05 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB627 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB627-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly January 22, 2024

Amended IN Assembly January 10, 2024

Amended IN Assembly January 03, 2024

Amended IN Assembly April 03, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 627

Introduced by Assembly Member Jackson

February 09, 2023

An act to add Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 44170) to Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 627, as amended, Jackson. Drayage trucks: voucher incentive project.

Existing law establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The state board, in this capacity, administers the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project under which the agency issues a limited number of vouchers to incentivize the purchase and use of zero-emission commercial vehicles. The Budget Act of 2023 appropriated funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the state board for zero-emission drayage trucks to be administered through the project and, in expending those funds, requires the state board, before January 1, 2025, to limit the number and award amount levels under the project based on fleet size.

This bill would require the state board to ensure that a voucher provided under the project for the purchase of a new, or the retrofit of a used, drayage truck is provided to an operator in an amount determined pursuant to a sliding scale established by the state board, based on the number of drayage trucks the operator owns. In administering the project, the bill would require the state board to prioritize the award of those vouchers to operators meeting certain criteria. The bill would also require the state board to ensure that these vouchers may be used to purchase a new drayage truck using, or to retrofit a used drayage truck to use, hydrogen fuel cell or battery electric technology as its source of propulsion.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 44170) is added to Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

CHAPTER 5.7 California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project

44170.

For purposes of this chapter, “project” means the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project established and administered by the state board.

44171.

(a) A voucher for the purchase of a new drayage truck, or the retrofit of a used drayage truck, shall be in an amount determined pursuant to a sliding scale that shall be established by the state board. The sliding scale shall authorize ~~increased~~ vouchers in different amounts for fleets of 50 49 or fewer, 30 or fewer, or 5 or fewer vehicles.

(b) In administering the project to provide vouchers described in subdivision (a), the state board shall prioritize awarding those vouchers to both of the following:

(1) Operators for the purchase of new, or the retrofit of used, drayage trucks that transport goods between the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland and warehouses located in the state.

(2) Operators who own five or fewer drayage trucks.

(c) The state board may only award a voucher described in subdivision (a) under the project if the moneys provided by the voucher will be used to purchase a new, or retrofit a used, diesel-fueled drayage truck that operates exclusively in California.

(d) The state board shall ensure that a voucher described in subdivision (a) may be used to purchase a new drayage truck that uses, or to retrofit a used drayage truck to use, hydrogen fuel cell or battery electric technology as its source of propulsion.

(e) This chapter does not prohibit the state board from awarding vouchers to vehicles other than drayage trucks as a part of the project.

(f) To the extent this section conflicts with Section 111 of the Budget Act of 2023 (Chapter 38 of the Statutes of 2023), that section of the Budget Act of 2023 shall prevail.