I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6546 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a Wireless Electric 

Vehicle Charging Grant Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2022 

Mrs. LAWRENCE (for herself, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 

MALONEY of New York, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS

of Illinois, and Ms. CASTOR of Florida) 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 Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program, 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 ‘‘Wireless Electric Vehi5 cle Charging Grant Program Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 6546 IH

1 (1) Electric vehicles are crucial to cutting 

2 greenhouse gas emissions, reducing reliance on fossil 

3 fuels, and combating the climate crisis. As of 2019, 

4 the transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of 

5 all greenhouse gas emissions, which is the most of 

6 any sector. 

7 (2) Increasing the adoption of electric vehicles 

8 will reduce pollution and increase air quality for 

9 communities located near roads with high traffic 

10 density or high-volume routes. 

11 (3) As the automotive industry shifts towards 

12 electric vehicles, investing in new electric vehicle 

13 technologies will be crucial to enhancing America’s 

14 competitiveness, creating jobs, and ensuring contin15 ued economic growth. 

16 (4) Range anxiety is one of the chief barriers 

17 to electric vehicle adoption. If deployed strategically, 

18 wireless electric vehicle charging could help by pro19 viding drivers convenient opportunities to charge and 

20 extend the range of electric vehicles. 

21 (5) Wireless charging technologies could be in22 valuable for electric transit buses, trucking, fleet ve23 hicles, and autonomous electric vehicles, allowing for 

24 convenient and hands-free charging, while also lowVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:30 Feb 04, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6546.IH H6546

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 6546 IH

1 ering costs, as effective wireless charging would re2 duce the need for larger and heavier batteries. 

3 (6) Wireless electric vehicle charging has the 

4 potential to make electric vehicles more accessible 

5 and allow all people of the United States, regardless 

6 of physical ability, to enjoy the benefits of electric 

7 vehicles. 

8 (7) It is critical to establish a resilient and ro9 bust domestic supply chain for all electric vehicle 

10 charging infrastructure. With strong Buy America 

11 requirements, federally funded programs can 

12 incentivize companies to build facilities in the United 

13 States, creating good paying jobs and economic 

14 growth for communities. 

15 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF WIRELESS ELECTRIC VEHICLE 

16 CHARGING GRANT PROGRAM. 

17 The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 

18 program, in coordination with the Department of Energy, 

19 to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities 

20 for projects to construct, install, or improve existing wire21 less charging infrastructure and technology for electric ve22 hicles. The program shall be known as the Wireless Elec23 tric Vehicle Charging Grant Program (in this Act referred 

24 to as the ‘‘Program’’). 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 6546 IH

1 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF SECRETARY. 

2 In carrying out the Program, the Secretary— 

3 (1) may award grants for projects described in 

4 section 3, including for wireless charging located 

5 along roads, in parking lots, airports, and at coastal 

6 and inland ports; 

7 (2) shall ensure that recipients of the grants 

8 focus on the wireless charging of 1 or more of— 

9 (A) light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehi10 cles; 

11 (B) fleet vehicles, including the Federal ve12 hicle fleets; and 

13 (C) public transit; 

14 (3) shall publish an annual progress report to 

15 the relevant committees of the House of Representa16 tives and the Senate that includes— 

17 (A) a description of recipients of grants, 

18 amount disbursed, and reasons for the selection 

19 of projects; 

20 (B) the progress of each pilot project fund21 ed under the Program; 

22 (C) successes, failures, and safety of the 

23 technologies funded under the Program; 

24 (D) recommendations for future funding, 

25 best practices, and policies relating to wireless 

26 electric vehicle charging; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 6546 IH

1 (E) workforce impacts of each project; 

2 (F) the environmental impact of each 

3 project, such as the amount of fuel saved from 

4 the project, predicted emissions savings, 

5 changes in air quality, and any other environ6 mental information deemed necessary by the 

7 Secretary; and 

8 (G) any other information the Secretary 

9 considers necessary; and 

10 (4) may provide technical assistance, as deter11 mined appropriate by the Secretary to eligible enti12 ties with respect to activities described in paragraph 

13 (1). 

14 SEC. 5. GRANT RECIPIENTS. 

15 (a) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible for a grant 

16 or technical assistance under the Program, an entity shall 

17 be, or be partnered with, any of the following: 

18 (1) A State, local, Tribal, or territorial govern19 ment. 

20 (2) A Metropolitan Planning Organization. 

21 (3) A special purpose district or public author22 ity with a transportation function. 

23 (4) A transit agency. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 6546 IH

1 (b) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In selecting eligible 

2 entities to receive grants under the Program, the Sec3 retary shall prioritize geographical diversity. 

4 (c) ADDITIONAL GRANT AMOUNTS.—An eligible enti5 ty may receive a grant from a State, local, Tribal, or terri6 torial government to carry out similar activities as the ac7 tivities funded under the Program. 

8 (d) WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING.— 

9 Eligible entities may use a portion of their grant to cover 

10 costs associated with training workers to construct, install, 

11 maintain, or operate the projects. 

12 (e) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.—Eligible entities 

13 may use a portion of their grant to cover costs associated 

14 with engaging the communities and affected workers, such 

15 as drivers, on the planning and design of the project and 

16 educating the public on the project. 

17 SEC. 6. COST SHARE. 

18 (a) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a grant 

19 awarded under the Program may not exceed 80 percent 

20 of total cost of the project. 

21 (b) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount of a 

22 grant awarded to an eligible entity under the Program 

23 may not exceed $5,000,000. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 6546 IH

1 SEC. 7. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. 

2 (a) PRIORITY.—In awarding the grants under the 

3 Program, the Secretary shall prioritize projects that— 

4 (1) focus on non-disruptive designs that are 

5 compatible with existing infrastructure and bene6 ficial to the public, including for low income, under7 served, or disadvantaged communities; 

8 (2) focus on cost-effective, energy-efficient, and 

9 environmentally sustainable technologies for public 

10 use; 

11 (3) focus on compatibility with the entire range 

12 of electric vehicles and with, if determined appro13 priate by the Secretary, developing and evolving uni14 versal wireless charging standards; 

15 (4) focus on safe designs that are compatible 

16 with frequent use in a variety of weather conditions 

17 and road maintenance activities; 

18 (5) are carried out by entities that emphasize 

19 diversity, equity, and inclusion in the eligible entity’s 

20 workforce and business practices; 

21 (6) are likely to leverage Federal investment by 

22 encouraging non-Federal contributions to the 

23 project, including projects from public-private part24 nerships; 

25 (7) have State, local, Tribal, or territorial gov26 ernment support; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 6546 IH

1 (8) have an outreach strategy to inform and 

2 educate the public on project benefits and uses be3 fore, during, and after the construction of the 

4 projects; and 

5 (9) have an inclusive plan to engage and ensure 

6 that the surrounding communities and impacted 

7 workers, such as the drivers of the vehicles, are in8 cluded in the planning and design process. 

9 (b) WAGE RATE REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary 

10 shall require that each recipient of a grant under the Pro11 gram provides reasonable assurances that all laborers and 

12 mechanics employed to carry out the projects for which 

13 the assistance is provided, including laborers and mechan14 ics employed by contractors or subcontractors, will be paid 

15 wages at rates not less than those for similar work in the 

16 locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accord17 ance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United 

18 States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Davis-Bacon 

19 Act’’). 

20 (c) NEUTRALITY TOWARD ORGANIZED LABOR.—The 

21 recipient of grants under the Program shall have, and en22 sure that all employed by contractors and subcontractors 

23 of the covered entity with respect to the covered activities 

24 have— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 6546 IH

1 (1) an explicit policy of neutrality with regard 

2 to— 

3 (A) labor organizing for the employees en4 gaged in the covered activities; and 

5 (B) such employees’ choice to form and 

6 join labor organizations; and 

7 (2) policies that require— 

8 (A) the posting and maintenance of notices 

9 in the workplace to such employees of their 

10 rights under the National Labor Relations Act 

11 (29 U.S.C. 151 et seq.); and 

12 (B) that such employees are, at the begin13 ning of their employment, provided notice and 

14 information regarding the employees’ rights 

15 under such Act. 

16 (d) BUY AMERICA.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para18 graph (2), recipients of grants under the Program 

19 shall comply with the requirements described in sec20 tion 5323(j) of title 49, United States Code. 

21 (2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may provide any 

22 waiver to the requirements described in paragraph 

23 (1) in the same manner and to the same extent as 

24 the Secretary of Transportation may provide a waivVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:30 Feb 04, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6546.IH H6546

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 6546 IH

1 er under section 5323(j)(2) of title 49, United 

2 States Code. 

3 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) ELECTRIC VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘electric 

6 vehicle’’ means a zero-emission vehicle powered by 

7 an electric battery and train. 

8 (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean9 ing given the term in section 101 of title 23, United 

10 States Code. 

11 (3) WIRELESS CHARGING.—The term ‘‘wireless 

12 charging’’ means the charging of a battery by induc13 tive charging or by any means in which a battery is 

14 charged without a wire, or plug-in wire, connecting 

15 the power source and battery. 

16 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

17 There is authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 

18 to carry out this Act, to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS