[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4920 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4920
To establish a working group on electric vehicles.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 3, 2021
Ms. Ross introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, and
Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a working group on electric vehicles.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ELECTRIC VEHICLE WORKING GROUP.
(a) Establishment of Working Group.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 240 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation and the
Secretary of Energy (referred to in this section as the
``Secretaries'') shall jointly establish a working group
(referred to in this section as the ``working group'') to make
recommendations on the development, adoption, and integration
of light and heavy duty electric vehicles into the
transportation and energy systems of the United States.
(2) Membership.--
(A) In general.--The working group shall be
composed of--
(i) the Secretaries (or designees), who
shall be co-chairs of the working group; and
(ii) not more than 25 members to be
appointed by the Secretaries, of whom--
(I) not more than 6 shall be
Federal stakeholders as described in
subparagraph (B); and
(II) not more than 19 shall be non-
Federal stakeholders as described in
subparagraph (C).
(B) Federal stakeholders.--The working group--
(i) shall include not less than 1
representative of each of--
(I) the Department of
Transportation;
(II) the Department of Energy;
(III) the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(IV) the Council on Environmental
Quality; and
(V) the General Services
Administration; and
(ii) may include a representative of any
other Federal agency the Secretaries consider
to be appropriate.
(C) Non-federal stakeholders.--
(i) In general.--The working group--
(I) shall include not less than 1
representative of each of--
(aa) a manufacturer of
electric vehicles or the
relevant components of electric
vehicles;
(bb) an owner, operator, or
manufacturer of electric
vehicle charging equipment;
(cc) the public utility
industry;
(dd) a public utility
regulator or association of
public utility regulators;
(ee) the transportation
fueling distribution and
retailer industry;
(ff) the energy provider
industry;
(gg) the automotive dealing
industry;
(hh) the passenger
transportation industry;
(ii) an organization
representing a unit of local
government;
(jj) a regional
transportation or planning
agency;
(kk) an organization
representing State departments
of transportation;
(ll) an organization
representing State departments
of energy or State energy
planners;
(mm) an expert in
intelligent transportation
systems and technologies;
(nn) organized labor;
(oo) the trucking industry;
(pp) Tribal governments;
and
(qq) the property
development industry; and
(II) may include a representative
of any other non-Federal stakeholder
that the Secretaries consider to be
appropriate.
(ii) Requirement.--The Secretaries shall
ensure that the members of the working group
selected under clause (i) shall include--
(I) individuals with a balance of
backgrounds, experiences, and
viewpoints; and
(II) individuals that represent
geographically diverse regions of the
United States, including from rural,
urban, and suburban areas.
(3) Meetings.--
(A) In general.--The working group shall meet not
less frequently than once every 120 days.
(B) Remote participation.--A member of the working
group may participate in a meeting of the working group
via teleconference or similar means.
(4) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties of the
working group, the working group shall coordinate and consult
with any existing Federal interagency working groups on fleet
conversion or other similar matters related to electric
vehicles.
(b) Joint Report and Strategy on Electric Vehicle Adoption,
Opportunities, and Challenges.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries, in consultation with the
working group, shall submit to Congress by each of the
deadlines described in paragraph (2)--
(A) a report on the status of electric vehicle
adoption and opportunities for and challenges to
expanding adoption of electric vehicles, including--
(i) a description of the barriers and
opportunities to scaling up electric vehicle
adoption nationwide, with recommendations for
issues relating to--
(I) consumer behavior;
(II) charging infrastructure needs,
including standardization and smart
charging;
(III) manufacturing and battery
costs, including the raw material
shortages for batteries and electric
motor magnets;
(IV) the adoption of electric
vehicles for low- and moderate-income
individuals and underserved
communities, including charging
infrastructure access and vehicle
purchase financing;
(V) business models for charging
electric vehicles outside the home,
including wired and wireless charging;
(VI) charging infrastructure
permitting and regulatory issues;
(VII) the connections between
housing and transportation costs and
emissions;
(VIII) freight transportation,
including local, port and drayage,
regional, and long-haul trucking;
(IX) intercity passenger travel;
(X) the need or potential for model
building codes for charging
infrastructure;
(XI) the process by which
governments collect a user fee for the
contribution of electric vehicles to
funding roadway improvements and
potential investments in charging
infrastructure;
(XII) State and local level
policies, incentives, and zoning
efforts;
(XIII) the installation of highway
corridor signage;
(XIV) cybersecurity of charging
infrastructure;
(XV) secondary markets and
recycling for batteries, including
battery collection initiatives;
(XVI) grid integration;
(XVII) energy storage; and
(XVIII) specific regional or local
issues that--
(aa) are associated with--
(AA) the issues
described in subclauses
(I) through (XVII); or
(BB) urban or rural
environments; and
(bb) may not appear
nationwide, but hamper a
nationwide adoption or
coordination of electric
vehicles;
(ii) examples of successful public and
private models and demonstration projects that
encourage electric vehicle adoption; and
(iii) an analysis of current efforts to
overcome the barriers described in clause (i);
and
(B) a strategy that describes how the Federal
Government, States, units of local government, and
industry can--
(i) set quantitative targets for
transportation electrification;
(ii) overcome the barriers described in
subparagraph (A)(i);
(iii) identify areas of opportunity in
research and development to improve battery
manufacturing, mineral mining, recycling costs
and battery collection, material recovery, and
battery performance for electric vehicles;
(iv) enhance Federal interagency
coordination to promote electric vehicle
adoption;
(v) promote electric vehicle knowledge and
expertise within State and local governments;
(vi) prepare the workforce for the adoption
of electric vehicles, including through
collaboration with labor unions, colleges and
other educational institutions, and relevant
manufacturers;
(vii) expand electric vehicle and charging
infrastructure--
(I) knowledge and use among
Federal, State, and local governments,
school districts, and private entities;
and
(II) adoption among the fleets of
the entities described in subclause
(I);
(viii) expand knowledge of the benefits of
electric vehicles among the general public;
(ix) maintain the global competitiveness of
the United States in the electric vehicle and
charging infrastructure markets;
(x) provide clarity in regulations to
improve national uniformity with respect to
electric vehicles; and
(xi) ensure the sustainable integration of
electric vehicles into the national electric
grid.
(2) Deadlines.--A joint report and strategy under paragraph
(1) shall be submitted by--
(A) for the first report, not later than 18 months
after the date on which the working group is
established under subsection (a)(1);
(B) for the second report, not later than 2 years
after the date on which the first report is required to
be submitted under subparagraph (A); and
(C) for the third report, not later than 2 years
after the date on which the second report is required
to be submitted under subparagraph (B).
(3) Information.--
(A) In general.--The Secretaries may enter into an
agreement with the Transportation Research Board of the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine to provide, track, or report data,
information, or research to assist the Secretaries in
carrying out paragraph (1).
(B) Use of existing information.--In developing the
report and strategy under paragraph (1), the
Secretaries and the working group shall consider
existing Federal, State, local, private sector, and
academic data and information relating to electric
vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable,
coordinate with the entities that publish that
information--
(i) to prevent duplication of efforts by
the Federal Government; and
(ii) to leverage existing information and
complementary efforts.
(c) Electric Vehicle Resource Guide.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries shall electronically
publish and update a resource guide to provide information to
increase knowledge about electric vehicles and necessary
charging infrastructure for consumers, State, local, and Tribal
governments (including transit agencies or authorities, public
tolling authorities, metropolitan planning organizations,
public utility commissions, and public service companies), and
businesses that sell motor vehicles.
(2) Inclusions.--A resource guide under paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) information on--
(i) the general characteristics of electric
vehicles (including passenger vehicles,
electric vehicles for public transportation,
school buses, and electric vehicles for
commercial use); and
(ii) the types of charging solutions
available to consumers, including, to the
maximum extent practicable, a digitally
accessible compilation of existing mapping of
publicly available charging stations in the
United States;
(B) information on electrifying business and
government vehicle fleets;
(C) information on Federal grant programs available
to State and local governments for the purchase of
electric vehicles for public transportation;
(D) a description of current financial and
nonfinancial incentives for electric vehicles; and
(E) any other information that--
(i) a representative of industry or State
or local government requests to be included;
and
(ii) the working group recommends and
determines to be appropriate.
(3) Use of existing guides.--In publishing and maintaining
the resource guide under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and the
working group shall consider existing Federal, State, local,
private sector, and academic guides relating to electric
vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate
with the entities publishing those guides--
(A) to prevent duplication of efforts by the
Federal Government; and
(B) to leverage existing information and
complementary efforts.
(4) Resource guide outreach.--The Secretaries, in
consultation with the working group, shall conduct outreach to
consumers, State, local, and Tribal governments (including
transit agencies or authorities, public tolling authorities,
metropolitan planning organizations, public utility
commissions, and public service companies), and businesses that
sell motor vehicles through the websites of the Department of
Transportation and the Department of Energy, social media, and
other methods--
(A) to provide the resource guide under paragraph
(1) to interested stakeholders, including relevant
consumer groups and transportation-related
organizations;
(B) to promote the use of electric vehicles in both
government and industry fleets; and
(C) to educate individuals involved in the sale of
motor vehicles about the benefits of electric vehicles.
(5) Subsequent resource guides.--Not less frequently than
every 2 years for the duration of the working group, the
working group shall publish an update to the resource guide
under paragraph (1), as appropriate based on technological
innovation and subsequent information.
(6) Accessibility.--The Secretaries shall each maintain the
resource guide under paragraph (1) on a designated website,
which may be an existing website, of each Secretary relating to
electric vehicles.
(d) Coordination.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretaries and the working group shall carry out this section using
all available existing resources, websites, and databases of Federal
agencies, such as the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the Energy
Efficient Mobility Systems program, and the Clean Cities Coalition
Network.
(e) Funding.--The Secretaries shall carry out this section using
existing funds made available to the Secretaries and not otherwise
obligated, of which--
(1) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the
Secretary of Transportation; and
(2) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the
Secretary of Energy.
(f) Termination.--The working group shall terminate on the date on
which the third report under subsection (b) is submitted.
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