Safe Charging Electrical Bikes and Scooters Act

Subjects: Transportation and Public Works


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1665 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1665

  To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to 
  provide grants to local governments to install publicly accessible 
 safety charging stations for electric bicycles and scooters, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2023

Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Meng, Ms. Clarke of New 
York, and Mr. Goldman of New York) introduced the following bill; which 
   was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to 
  provide grants to local governments to install publicly accessible 
 safety charging stations for electric bicycles and scooters, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Charging Electrical Bikes and 
Scooters Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFE CHARGING ELECTRICAL BICYCLE AND SCOOTER GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 
program under which the Secretary may award grants to local governments 
for eligible projects to construct safe charging stations located in 
eligible publicly accessible locations.
    (b) Eligible Projects.--Eligible projects under this section 
include any project to acquire or install safe lithium-ion battery 
power stations and storage for electric bicycles or scooters in public 
places.
    (c) Eligible Locations.--An eligible project receiving a grant 
under this section shall be located in an eligible publicly accessible 
location, including any public road or other publicly accessible 
locations, such as parking facilities at public buildings, public 
schools, libraries, and public parks, or in publicly accessible parking 
facilities owned or managed by private entities.
    (d) Funding.--Notwithstanding section 151 of title 23, United 
States Code, the Secretary may use up to $100,000,000 of the funds made 
available to carry out such section for each of fiscal years 2024 
through 2029 to carry out this section.

SEC. 3. CONSUMER EDUCATION PROGRAM AND CAMPAIGN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall develop an 
educational program and related resources to inform the public about 
the health and safety risks relating to the following:
            (1) The recommendation that customers should always buy 
        lithium-ion batteries and electric bicycles and scooters that 
        have been certified by a nationally accredited testing 
        laboratory, which performs safety testing.
            (2) Ensuring use of a charger that is compatible with the 
        lithium-ion battery that the charger is charging.
            (3) Lithium-ion batteries showing signs that such batteries 
        are in need of replacement if such batteries heat up, expand, 
        or take longer than usual to charge.
            (4) Recommendations from experts for storing lithium-ion 
        batteries in fireproof containers.
    (b) Public Availability.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
educational program and related resources developed under paragraph (1) 
are available to and readily accessible by the public on the website of 
the Department of Transportation.

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
        conduct a study on the number of uncertified lithium-ion 
        batteries for electric bicycles and scooters that are currently 
        available in the United States market as well as affordability 
        and availability of certified lithium-ion batteries.
            (2) Additional identification.--In carrying out the study 
        under this subsection, the Secretary may identify market 
        barriers to the availability of certified and affordable 
        lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles and scooters.
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out the study under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall consult with relevant stakeholders, including 
United States manufacturers of electric bicycles and scooters and 
lithium-ion batteries, consumer advocacy groups, labor groups or 
unions, and consumer safety organizations.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the 
study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on the results of such study and any recommendations for 
legislative or regulatory action to ensure that more certified and 
affordable lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles and scooters are 
available in the United States market.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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