Amended  IN  Senate  March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 529

Introduced by Senator Gonzalez
(Coauthor: Senator Stern)

February 14, 2023

An act to add Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 25730) to Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, relating to transportation electrification.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 529, as amended, Gonzalez. Electric vehicle sharing services: public housing facilities and affordable multifamily housing properties. affordable housing facilities.
Existing law creates the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), to provide, among other things, competitive grants and revolving loans to specified entities for those entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state’s climate change policies. Existing law requires the Energy Commission to develop and adopt an investment plan to determine priorities and opportunities for the program. Existing law requires the Energy Commission, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, as part of the development of the investment plan, to assess whether charging station infrastructure is disproportionately deployed, as specified, and, upon finding disproportionate deployment, to use moneys from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, as well as other mechanisms, including incentives, to more proportionately deploy new charging station infrastructure, except as specified.
This bill would require the Energy Commission to create a program to award grants to facilitate electric vehicle sharing services, as defined, operated at permanent affordable multifamily housing properties. affordable housing facilities, as defined. The bill would specify the eligible entities that may be awarded grants pursuant to the program, and would require those eligible entities to submit an application to the Energy Commission, as specified. The bill would require the Energy Commission to consider specified criteria in awarding grants and would require a grant recipient to only use grant funds for specified purposes to facilitate an electric vehicle sharing service operated at a public an affordable housing facility. The bill would require that a grant awarded pursuant to this program not exceed $250,000 to cover the cost of 2 electric vehicles and 2 Level 2 charging stations. recipient, at a minimum, purchases, or commits to purchase 2 electric vehicles and 2 Level 2 charging stations. The bill would provide that a grant recipient may be eligible for an additional $100,000 under this program for the to purchase of up to 2 direct current fast chargers if the grant recipient meets specified requirements. The bill would require, as a condition of receiving a grant, a grant recipient to annually submit a report to the Energy Commission that includes specified information.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 25730) is added to Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER  8.5. Electric Vehicles for All

25730.
 (a) The commission shall create a program to award, on a competitive basis, grants to facilitate electric vehicle sharing services operated at permanent affordable multifamily housing properties. affordable housing facilities.
(b) Grants may be awarded to the following eligible entities:
(1) A public housing agency.
(2) A local government.
(3) A local air quality management district.
(4) A nonprofit organization that has entered into an agreement with a public housing agency or local government under which the agency or government agrees to host an electric vehicle sharing service on the property of the public housing agency or local government.

(c)All funds awarded under this grant program shall be used to benefit the residents of public housing agency facilities and permanent affordable rental multifamily housing using low-income housing tax credit funds. The electric vehicles and infrastructure, including the electric vehicle sharing service, shall be open to the general public, but funds shall not be used for the sole purpose of encouraging general public usage of the program.

(c) The electric vehicle sharing service, including the electric vehicles and infrastructure, shall be used exclusively by the residents of the affordable housing facility. The general public shall not have access to the electric vehicle sharing service.
(d) Eligible entities shall submit an application in the form, at the time, and containing the information that the commission determines appropriate.
(e) In awarding grants pursuant to this chapter, the commission shall consider all of the following criteria:
(1) The capacity of an applicant to operate a proposed electric vehicle sharing service directly, or to contract with an experienced vendor.
(2) Whether the proposed electric vehicle sharing service would address both of the following:
(A) The transportation needs of the community surrounding the affordable housing facilities.
(B) The lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on site to support the electric vehicle sharing service and, in the case of potential additional supplemental grant funding, direct current fast charging in the surrounding neighborhood.
(3) Whether the applicant has developed a culturally competent community engagement and education plan for outreach regarding the proposed electric vehicle sharing service.
(4) The economic and operational sustainability of the proposed electric vehicle sharing service using grant funds and other funding sources.
(5) Whether the applicant proposes to install networked direct current fast charging equipment in connection with the proposed electric vehicle sharing service that would be installed at the same time to reduce cost and time of service line extensions.
(f) The commission shall establish additional minimum standards relating to functionality and range for electric vehicles eligible to be purchased for these programs.

25731.
 A grant recipient shall only use grant funds for the following purposes, to facilitate an electric vehicle sharing service operated at a public an affordable housing facility:
(a) The purchase of new or used light-duty electric vehicles that are no more than five years old.
(b) The purchase, installation, including service upgrades and site improvement costs, and maintenance of Level 2 electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is dedicated to support the electric vehicle car sharing service.
(c) Community marketing, education, and outreach with respect to the electric vehicle sharing service.
(d) Incentives for residents of the permanent public affordable housing facility to use the electric vehicle sharing service, including subsidized fares.
(e) Maintenance, repairs, and other costs associated with operating the electric vehicle sharing service, including towing, impound, and driving infraction fines.
(f) Monitoring, data collection, and evaluation with respect to the electric vehicle sharing service.
(g) Technical assistance relating to the establishment, operation, and evaluation of the electric vehicle sharing service.
(h) Security, including security cameras, lighting, and fencing, with respect to the electric vehicle sharing service.

(h)

(i) Additional grant funds may be made available for the installation of direct current fast charging infrastructure that is made publicly available and installed at the same affordable housing location facility adjacent to or nearby the electric vehicle sharing stations.

25732.
 (a) Grant funds awarded pursuant to this chapter shall be available to the grant recipient for obligation or expenditure during the five-year period beginning on the date on which the funds are awarded.

(b)A grant awarded pursuant to this chapter shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) to cover the cost of two electric vehicles and two Level 2 charging stations at each location.

(c)In addition to the amount in subdivision (b), a grant recipient may be eligible for an additional one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) under this program for the purchase of two direct current fast chargers for each eligible public and affordable housing facility at which the grant recipient will operate an electric vehicle sharing service, only if they meet either of the following requirements:

(b) At a minimum, grant recipients shall purchase, or commit to purchase, two electric vehicles and two Level 2 charging stations.
(c) Grant recipients may be eligible to purchase up to two direct current fast chargers, only if they meet either of the following requirements:
(1) The grant recipient has installed two Level 2 charging stations and purchased two electric vehicles in previous years of funding.
(2) The grant recipient commits to installing two Level 2 charging stations and purchasing two electric vehicles in the current application year.

25733.
 As a condition of receiving a grant pursuant to this chapter, a grant recipient shall annually submit to the commission, before the end of each year during which the recipient receives grant funds, a report that does both of the following:
(a) Describes the activities carried out with the grant funds.
(b) Includes data on all of the following:
(1) The operating and capital costs for the electric vehicle sharing service facilitated with grant funds.
(2) The revenue generated by the electric vehicle sharing service.
(3) The daily averages of individual bookings and hours of electric vehicle use for the electric vehicle sharing service.
(4) The number of active users of the electric vehicle sharing service.
(5) The distance traveled by the electric vehicles of the electric vehicle sharing service.
(6) The estimated reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria air pollutants associated with the electric vehicle sharing service.
(7) The results of a survey of customers of the electric vehicle sharing service that provides information on customer preferences, destinations, and other information the commission determines appropriate.

25734.
 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Affordable housing facility” means a facility where the units are subject to a recorded affordability restriction for at least 55 years.

(a)

(b) “Electric vehicle” means a vehicle that derives all or part of its power from electricity.

(b)

(c) (1) “Electric vehicle charging infrastructure” means any property, other than a building or the structural components of a building, that is all of the following:
(A) Used to charge electric vehicles.
(B) Present at the location where electric vehicles are charged.
(C) Available for use by members of the general public.
(2) “Electric vehicle charging infrastructure” includes any utility service connection or utility panel upgrade that is required for the charging of electric vehicles.

(c)

(d) “Electric vehicle sharing service” means a service that does both of the following:
(1) Allows an individual to apply for a membership that preapproves the individual to rent electric vehicles from the service.
(2) Permits preapproved individuals to rent electric vehicles for short periods of time.

(d)

(e) “Networked direct current fast charging equipment” means electric vehicle charging equipment that does both of the following:
(1) Provides a direct current power source at a minimum of 50 kilowatts.
(2) Is enabled to connect to a network to facilitate data collection and access.