I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6178 

To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National Electric Vehicle 

Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 2, 2023 

Ms. BROWNLEY (for herself, Ms. TOKUDA, and Mr. CLEAVER) 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 require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National 

Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, 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 ‘‘Bidirectional Electric 

5 Vehicle Charging Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE BIDIRECTIONAL 

2 CHARGING ROADMAP. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy shall de4 velop a National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging 

5 Roadmap that includes— 

6 (1) a timeline and strategy for increasing the 

7 development and use of bidirectional charging; 

8 (2) a list of strategies and obstacles to increas9 ing the development and use of bidirectional charg10 ing; 

11 (3) key actions for Congress to consider taking 

12 with respect to bidirectional charging matters; and 

13 (4) cost estimates for increasing the develop14 ment and use of bidirectional charging, including a 

15 cost estimate for such an increase if such an in16 crease were to be done at a pace that is slow, mod17 erate, or fast. 

18 (b) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 12 months after 

19 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy 

20 shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

21 of the House of Representatives, and make available to 

22 the public, including on the public website of the Depart23 ment of Energy, the National Electric Vehicle 

24 Bidirectional Charging Roadmap developed under sub25 section (a). 


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1 SEC. 3. TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENT FOR 

2 BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING. 

3 (a) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 2 years after the 

4 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy 

5 shall issue regulations— 

6 (1) establishing technical standards for manu7 facturers of electric vehicles to standardize 

8 bidirectional charging technology; and 

9 (2) requiring that all new electric vehicles man10 ufactured beginning in model year 2027 and there11 after be capable of bidirectional charging, including 

12 electric vehicles that are light-duty motor vehicles 

13 and school buses, except as exempted by the Sec14 retary of Energy, as the Secretary determines appro15 priate. 

16 (b) CIVIL PENALTIES.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—A person that violates a reg18 ulation issued under this section is liable to the 

19 United States Government for a civil penalty of not 

20 more than $21,000 for each violation. A separate 

21 violation occurs for each electric vehicle or item of 

22 electric vehicle equipment and for each failure or re23 fusal to allow or perform an act required by this sec24 tion and the regulations thereunder. The maximum 

25 penalty under this subsection for a related series of 

26 violations is $105,000,000. 


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1 (2) COMPROMISE.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of En3 ergy may compromise the amount of a civil pen4 alty imposed under this section. 

5 (B) RELEVANT FACTORS IN DETERMINING

6 AMOUNT OF PENALTY OR COMPROMISE.—In de7 termining the amount of a civil penalty or com8 promise under this section, the Secretary of En9 ergy shall consider the nature, circumstances, 

10 extent, and gravity of the violation. Such deter11 mination shall include, as appropriate— 

12 (i) the nature of the defect or non13 compliance; 

14 (ii) knowledge by the person charged 

15 of its obligations under this section; 

16 (iii) the number of electric vehicles or 

17 items of electric vehicle equipment distrib18 uted with the defect or noncompliance; 

19 (iv) actions taken by the person 

20 charged to identify, investigate, or mitigate 

21 the condition; 

22 (v) the appropriateness of such pen23 alty in relation to the size of the business 

24 of the person charged, including the poten25 tial for undue adverse economic impacts; 


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1 (vi) whether the person has been as2 sessed civil penalties under this section 

3 during the most recent 5 years; and 

4 (vii) other appropriate factors. 

5 SEC. 4. DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS. 

6 The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man7 agement Agency shall issue such regulations as are nec8 essary to require that hazard mitigation plans submitted 

9 by States or local governments under section 322 of the 

10 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist11 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165) incorporate bidirectional 

12 charging capabilities. 

13 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

14 In this Act: 

15 (1) BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING.—The term 

16 ‘‘bidirectional charging’’ means, with respect to an 

17 electric vehicle, that the electric vehicle can receive 

18 energy from electric vehicle supply equipment and 

19 provide energy to an external load when it is paired 

20 with similarly capable electric vehicle supply equip21 ment. 

22 (2) ELECTRIC VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘electric 

23 vehicle’’ means a vehicle designed to operate excluVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Nov 14, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6178.IH H6178

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1 sively on electricity stored in a rechargeable battery, 

2 multiple batteries, or battery pack. 

Æ 


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