I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5256 

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry 

out a pilot program to award grants for the electrification of certain 

refrigerated vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 22, 2019 

Ms. CLARKE of New York (for herself, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. 

TLAIB, and Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 

to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency to carry out a pilot program to award grants 

for the electrification of certain refrigerated vehicles, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fostering and Real5 izing Electrification by Encouraging Zero Emission ReVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Dec 06, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5256.IH H5256

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1 frigeration Trucks Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘FREEZER 

2 Trucks Act of 2019’’. 

3 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO AWARD GRANTS FOR THE 

4 ELECTRIFICATION OF CERTAIN REFRIG5 ERATED VEHICLES. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The Ad7 ministrator shall establish and carry out a pilot program 

8 to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities 

9 to carry out projects described in subsection (b). 

10 (b) PROJECTS.—An eligible entity receiving a grant 

11 under subsection (a) may use grant funds only for one 

12 or more of the following projects: 

13 (1) TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION UNIT RE14 PLACEMENT.—A project to retrofit a heavy-duty ve15 hicle by replacing the existing diesel-powered trans16 port refrigeration unit in such vehicle with an elec17 tric transport refrigeration unit. 

18 (2) SHORE POWER INFRASTRUCTURE.—A 

19 project to purchase and install shore power infra20 structure or other equipment that enables transport 

21 refrigeration units to connect to electric power at 

22 food service distribution centers or other places 

23 where heavy-duty vehicles congregate. 

24 (3) TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION UNIT OPER25 ATION AND MAINTENANCE.—A project to operate 


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1 and maintain vehicles, infrastructure, or equipment 

2 relating to electric transport refrigeration units and 

3 associated shore power, including any such vehicles, 

4 infrastructure, or equipment acquired as part of a 

5 project funded under this section and described in 

6 paragraph (1) or paragraph (2). 

7 (c) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—The amount of a grant 

8 awarded under subsection (a) shall not exceed— 

9 (1) for the costs of a project relating to trans10 port refrigeration unit replacement described in sub11 section (b)(1), not more than 75 percent of such 

12 costs; 

13 (2) for the costs of a project relating to shore 

14 power infrastructure described in subsection (b)(2), 

15 not more than 55 percent of such costs; and 

16 (3) for the costs of a project relating to trans17 port refrigeration unit operation and maintenance 

18 described in subsection (b)(3), not more than 45 

19 percent of such costs. 

20 (d) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

21 under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall submit to the 

22 Administrator— 

23 (1) a description of the air quality in the area 

24 served by the eligible entity, including a description 


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1 of how the air quality is affected by diesel emissions 

2 from heavy-duty vehicles; 

3 (2) a description of the project proposed by the 

4 eligible entity, including— 

5 (A) any verified technology or emerging 

6 technology to be used or funded by the eligible 

7 entity; and 

8 (B) a description of the heavy-duty vehicle 

9 fleet of the eligible entity, including— 

10 (i) the number of such vehicles; 

11 (ii) the uses of such vehicles; 

12 (iii) the locations where such vehicles 

13 dock for the purpose of loading or unload14 ing; and 

15 (iv) the routes driven by such vehicles, 

16 including the times at which such vehicles 

17 are driven; 

18 (3) an estimate of the cost of the proposed 

19 project; 

20 (4) a description of the age and expected life21 time control of the equipment used or funded by the 

22 eligible entity; and 

23 (5) provisions for the monitoring and verifica24 tion of the project. 


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1 (e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 

2 (a), the Administrator shall give priority to proposed 

3 projects that, as determined by the Administrator— 

4 (1) maximize public health benefits; 

5 (2) are the most cost-effective; and 

6 (3) will serve the communities that are most 

7 polluted by diesel motor emissions, including com8 munities that the Administrator identifies as being 

9 in either nonattainment or maintenance of the na10 tional ambient air quality standards for a criteria 

11 pollutant, particularly for— 

12 (A) ozone; and 

13 (B) particulate matter. 

14 (f) DATA RELEASE.—Not later than 60 days after 

15 the date on which a grant is made under this section, the 

16 Administrator shall publish on the website of the Environ17 mental Protection Agency, on a downloadable electronic 

18 database, information with respect to such grant, includ19 ing— 

20 (1) the name and location of the grant recipi21 ent; 

22 (2) the total amount of the grant; 

23 (3) the intended use or uses of the grant; 

24 (4) the date on which the grant was awarded; 


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1 (5) where applicable, an estimate of any air pol2 lution or greenhouse gas emissions avoided as a re3 sult of the project funded by the grant; and 

4 (6) any other data the Administrator deter5 mines to be necessary for an evaluation of the use 

6 and effect of grants awarded under this section. 

7 (g) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

8 (1) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

9 than 1 year after the date of the establishment of 

10 the pilot program under this section, and annually 

11 thereafter until funding is expended, the Adminis12 trator shall submit to Congress and make available 

13 to the public a report that describes, with respect to 

14 the applicable year— 

15 (A) any grant applications received under 

16 such program; 

17 (B) any grants awarded under such pro18 gram, including a summary of the data de19 scribed in subsection (f); 

20 (C) the effect of any awarded grants on air 

21 pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; and 

22 (D) any other data the Administrator de23 termines to be necessary to describe the imple24 mentation, outcomes, or effectiveness of such 

25 program. 


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1 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 

2 after funding for the pilot program under this sec3 tion is expended, or five years after such program is 

4 established, whichever comes first, the Administrator 

5 shall submit to Congress and make available to the 

6 public a report that describes— 

7 (A) all of the information collected for the 

8 annual reports under paragraph (1); 

9 (B) any benefits to the environment or 

10 human health that could result from the wide11 spread application of electric transport refrig12 eration units for short-haul transportation and 

13 delivery of perishable goods, including in low-in14 come communities and communities of color; 

15 (C) any challenges or benefits that recipi16 ents of grants under such program reported 

17 with respect to the integration or use of electric 

18 transport refrigeration units and associated 

19 technologies; 

20 (D) an assessment of the national market 

21 potential for electric transport refrigeration 

22 units; 

23 (E) an assessment of challenges and op24 portunities for widespread deployment of elecVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Dec 06, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5256.IH H5256

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1 tric transport refrigeration units, including in 

2 urban areas; and 

3 (F) recommendations for how future Fed4 eral, State, and local programs can best support 

5 the adoption and widespread deployment of 

6 electric transport refrigeration units. 

7 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis9 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ10 mental Protection Agency. 

11 (2) DIESEL-POWERED TRANSPORT REFRIGERA12 TION UNIT.—The term ‘‘diesel-powered transport re13 frigeration unit’’ means a transport refrigeration 

14 unit that is powered by an independent diesel inter15 nal combustion engine. 

16 (3) ELECTRIC TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION

17 UNIT.—The term ‘‘electric transport refrigeration 

18 unit’’ means a transport refrigeration unit in which 

19 the compressor of the refrigeration system is driven 

20 by an electric motor all or some of the time, includ21 ing all-electric transport refrigeration units, hybrid 

22 electric transport refrigeration units, and standby 

23 electric transport refrigeration units. 

24 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti25 ty’’ means— 


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1 (A) a regional, State, local, or Tribal agen2 cy or port authority with jurisdiction over 

3 transportation or air quality; 

4 (B) a nonprofit organization or institution 

5 that— 

6 (i) represents or provides pollution re7 duction or educational services to persons 

8 or organizations that own or operate diesel 

9 fleets; or 

10 (ii) has, as its principal purpose, the 

11 promotion of air quality; 

12 (C) any individual or entity that is the 

13 owner of record of a diesel vehicle or fleet which 

14 operates for the transportation and delivery of 

15 perishable goods; 

16 (D) any individual or entity that is the 

17 owner of record of a facility which operates as 

18 a warehouse or storage facility for perishable 

19 goods; and 

20 (E) any hospital or public health institu21 tion which utilizes refrigeration for storage of 

22 perishable goods. 

23 (5) HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘heavy24 duty vehicle’’ means— 

25 (A) a commercial truck or van— 


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1 (i) used for the primary purpose of 

2 transporting perishable goods; and 

3 (ii) with a gross vehicle weight rating 

4 greater than 6,000 pounds; or 

5 (B) an insulated cargo trailer used in 

6 transporting temperature sensitive goods when 

7 mounted on a semitrailer. 

8 (6) SHORE POWER INFRASTRUCTURE.—The 

9 term ‘‘shore power infrastructure’’ means electrical 

10 infrastructure that provides power to the electric 

11 transport refrigeration unit of a heavy-duty vehicle 

12 when such vehicle is stationary. 

13 (7) TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION UNIT.—The 

14 term ‘‘transport refrigeration unit’’ means a refrig15 eration system installed on a heavy-duty vehicle for 

16 the purpose of cooling perishable or temperature17 sensitive goods. 

18 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

20 $10,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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