Bill > H4781

This bill aims to promote the adoption of zero-emission vehicles by establishing new regulations and studies. It defines key terms like "electric vehicle" (which includes battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), "electric vehicle charging services," and "public electric vehicle charging station." The bill mandates that public charging stations must be accessible to the general public without requiring subscriptions or memberships, although separate pricing for members is allowed. Owners of publicly available parking spaces, whose primary business isn't charging services, can restrict access to their customers. Charging station operators must provide payment options for the general public and report data on station location, fees, and roaming charges to a designated database. The bill also allows electric companies to propose owning and operating charging infrastructure if it's in the public interest and doesn't harm the competitive market. Furthermore, cities and towns can regulate parking to designate areas for zero-emission vehicles, with potential penalties for violations. Building codes will be updated to include requirements for installing or having the capability to install electric vehicle charging stations in new residential and commercial buildings. The bill also directs the Department of Energy Resources to adopt interoperability billing standards for network roaming to ensure smoother payment across different charging networks. Finally, it mandates studies on assessing surcharges to offset lost gas tax revenue from zero-emission vehicle use and on electrifying the state's vehicle fleet, including recommendations for non-electric emergency vehicles.