Hawaii-2020-SB2446-Introduced

SECTION 1. Chapter 201, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§201- Transportation energy transformation grant fund; electric vehicles. (a) There is established within the state treasury the transportation energy transformation grant fund, to be administered and expended by the department, into which shall be deposited:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature;

(2) Gifts, grants, and other public and private funds;

(3) Any federal funds; and

(4) All interest and revenue of receipts derived from the fund.

(b) The moneys in the fund shall be used by the department to:

(1) Provide grants for the acquisition of electric vehicles;

(2) Establish and fill two full-time equivalent positions to carry out the purposes of this section; and

(3) Pay for any administrative, operational, training, and marketing costs associated with the transportation energy transformation grant program.

(c) A grant provided for the acquisition of an electric vehicle shall be equal to twenty per cent of the actual cost of the electric vehicle or $4,500, whichever is less.

(d) Applications for grants shall be made to the department and shall be for the acquisition of one or more new electric vehicles licensed and intended for use on the State's highways; provided that the electric vehicles are:

(1) Intended to be charged primarily by renewable energy sources; or

(2) Able to be integrated intelligently with the electrical grid.

(e) A grant may be made to an applicant only if the applicant has:

(1) Met the specifications and requirements established by the director for the grant program;

(2) Filed a completed application form, as prescribed by the director, together with all supporting documentation required by the director;

(3) Completed the purchase or lease, licensing, and registration of one or more vehicles, prior to applying for one or more electric vehicle grants;

(4) Provided any other information deemed necessary by the director; and

(5) Met any additional requirements of the grant program as determined by the director.

(f) Disbursements from the transportation energy transformation grant fund shall not be subject to chapter 42F.

(g) The director shall include information on the transportation energy transformation grant fund, and statistical information on program participation, in the department's annual report to the governor and the legislature.

(h) The director may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to govern all aspects of the transportation energy transformation grant fund program.

(i) As used in this section:

"Director" means the director of business, economic development, and tourism.

"Electric vehicle" has the same meaning as contained in Section 30D of the Internal Revenue Code for "new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle".

"Integrated intelligently with the electrical grid" means that the demand of the electric vehicle for electricity from the grid is controlled to enable reduction of the vehicle's electrical demand on the grid during peak demand times and to enable maximum use of renewable energy sources, baseload energy sources, or renewable energy potentially available off peak that would otherwise be curtailed."

SECTION 2. There are established within the department of business, economic development, and tourism two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions, exempt from chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to carry out the purposes of the transportation energy transformation grant program.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 to be deposited into the transportation energy transformation grant fund.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the transportation energy transformation grant fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the transportation energy transformation grant program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2446
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII