Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2021
Bill: S.507 | Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to support the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved or disadvantaged communities.
Specifically, DOE must establish an EV Charging Equity Program. Under the program, DOE must provide technical assistance and award grants to increase the deployment and accessibility of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in such communities.
If practicable, DOE must ensure that relevant programs promote electric vehicle charging infrastructure, support clean and multimodal transportation, provide improved air quality and emissions reductions, and prioritize the needs of such communities.

To increase deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in 
    low-income communities and communities of color, 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 ``Electric Vehicles for Underserved 
Communities Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Electric vehicle.--The term ``electric vehicle'' 
        means--
                    (A) a Zero-Emission Vehicle (as defined in section 
                88.102-94 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
                in effect on the date of enactment of this Act)); and
                    (B) a vehicle that, under any possible operational 
                mode or condition, produces zero exhaust emissions of--
                            (i) any criteria pollutant for which there 
                        are national ambient air quality standards 
                        under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 7409);
                            (ii) any precursor pollutant; or
                            (iii) any greenhouse gas.
            (2) Electric vehicle charging infrastructure.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``electric vehicle 
                charging infrastructure'' means any property (not 
                including a building and its structural components) if 
                that property is--
                            (i) made available for use by members of 
                        the general public; and
                            (ii) used to charge or fuel electric 
                        vehicles, but only if the property is located 
                        at the point where the vehicles are charged or 
                        fueled.
                    (B) Inclusion of utility service connections.--The 
                term ``electric vehicle charging infrastructure'' 
                includes any utility service connections, utility panel 
                upgrades, or contributions in aid of construction 
                (within the meaning of section 118 of the Internal 
                Revenue Code of 1986) that are required for the 
                charging or fueling of electric vehicles.
            (3) Greenhouse gas.--The term ``greenhouse gas'' means any 
        of the following:
                    (A) Carbon dioxide.
                    (B) Methane.
                    (C) Nitrous oxide.
                    (D) Hydrofluorocarbons.
                    (E) Perfluorocarbons.
                    (F) Sulfur hexafluoride.
            (4) Publicly accessible.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``publicly accessible'' 
                means--
                            (i) with respect to electric vehicle 
                        charging infrastructure, that the electric 
                        vehicle charging infrastructure is available, 
                        at zero or reasonable cost, to members of the 
                        public for the purpose of charging a privately 
                        owned or leased electric vehicle; and
                            (ii) with respect to an electric vehicle, 
                        that the electric vehicle is available for use 
                        by members of the general public as part of a 
                        ride service or vehicle sharing service or 
                        program.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``publicly accessible'' 
                includes electric vehicle charging infrastructure and 
                electric vehicles described in clauses (i) and (ii), 
                respectively, of subparagraph (A) that are located 
                within or around--
                            (i) public sidewalks and streets;
                            (ii) public parks;
                            (iii) public buildings, including--
                                    (I) libraries;
                                    (II) schools; and
                                    (III) government offices;
                            (iv) public parking;
                            (v) shopping centers; and
                            (vi) commuter transit hubs.
            (5) Relevant program.--The term ``relevant program'' means 
        a program of the Department of Energy, including--
                    (A) the State energy program established under part 
                D of title III the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.);
                    (B) the Clean Cities program;
                    (C) the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block 
                Grant Program established under section 542(a) of the 
                Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
                17152(a));
                    (D) a loan guarantee made under title XVII of the 
                Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16511 et seq.); 
                and
                    (E) any other program of the Department of Energy, 
                as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (7) Underserved or disadvantaged community.--The term 
        ``underserved or disadvantaged community'' means a community 
        located within a ZIP Code or census tract that is identified 
        as--
                    (A) a low-income community;
                    (B) a community of color;
                    (C) a Tribal community;
                    (D) having a disproportionately low number of 
                electric vehicle charging stations per capita, compared 
                to similar areas; or
                    (E) any other community that the Secretary 
                determines is disproportionately vulnerable to, or 
                bears a disproportionate burden of, any combination of 
                economic, social, environmental, and climate stressors.

SEC. 3. EXPANDING ACCESS TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN UNDERSERVED OR 
              DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

    (a) Assessment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an assessment 
        of the state of, challenges to, and opportunities for, 
        deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in 
        underserved or disadvantaged communities in urban, suburban, 
        and rural communities throughout the United States.
            (2) Requirement.--In carrying out the assessment under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, shall work with each State to enumerate and 
        identify, with detail at the level of ZIP Codes and census 
        tracts, in urban, suburban, and rural areas within each State--
                    (A) the number of existing and planned publicly 
                accessible level 2 charging stations and direct current 
                fast charging stations for individually owned light-
                duty and medium-duty electric vehicles;
                    (B) the number of existing and planned level 2 
                charging stations and direct current fast charging 
                stations for public sector and commercial--
                            (i) fleet electric vehicles; and
                            (ii) medium- and heavy-duty electric 
                        vehicles; and
                    (C) the number and type of electric vehicle 
                charging stations installed in or around, or available 
                to occupants of--
                            (i) public housing; or
                            (ii) affordable housing.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the 
assessment conducted under subsection (a), which shall--
            (1) describe the state of deployment of electric vehicle 
        charging infrastructure in underserved or disadvantaged 
        communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas in the United 
        States, including--
                    (A) the state of deployment of electric vehicle 
                charging infrastructure that is--
                            (i) publicly accessible;
                            (ii) installed in or around, or available 
                        to occupants of--
                                    (I) public housing; or
                                    (II) affordable housing;
                            (iii) installed in or around, or available 
                        to occupants of, multi-unit dwellings;
                            (iv) available to public sector and 
                        commercial fleets; or
                            (v) installed in, or available at, places 
                        of work;
                    (B) the policies, plans, and programs that States, 
                cities, utilities, and private entities are using to 
                encourage greater deployment and use of electric 
                vehicles and any associated electric vehicle charging 
                infrastructure, including programs to encourage 
                deployment of publicly accessible electric vehicle 
                charging infrastructure that is available to residents 
                of publicly or privately owned multi-unit dwellings;
                    (C) ownership models for level 2 charging stations 
                and direct current fast charging stations located in or 
                around--
                            (i) residential multi-unit dwellings;
                            (ii) commercial buildings; and
                            (iii) publicly accessible areas;
                    (D) mechanisms for financing electric vehicle 
                charging infrastructure; and
                    (E) the rates charged for the use of level 2 
                charging stations and direct current fast charging 
                stations;
            (2) identify current barriers to expanding the deployment 
        of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved or 
        disadvantaged communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas, 
        including barriers to expanding the deployment of publicly 
        accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
            (3) identify the potential for, and barriers to, recruiting 
        and entering into contracts with locally owned small and 
        disadvantaged businesses, including women- and minority-owned 
        businesses, to deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure 
        in underserved or disadvantaged communities in urban, suburban, 
        and rural areas;
            (4) compile and provide an analysis of best practices and 
        policies used by State and local governments, nonprofit 
        organizations, and private entities to increase deployment of 
        electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved or 
        disadvantaged communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas, 
        including best practices and policies relating to--
                    (A) public outreach and engagement;
                    (B) increasing deployment of publicly accessible 
                electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and
                    (C) increasing deployment of electric vehicle 
                charging infrastructure in or around publicly or 
                privately owned multi-unit dwellings;
            (5) to the maximum extent practicable, enumerate and 
        identify, with detail at the level of ZIP Codes and census 
        tracts, in urban, suburban, and rural areas within each State--
                    (A) the number of existing and planned publicly 
                accessible level 2 charging stations and direct current 
                fast charging stations for individually owned light-
                duty and medium-duty electric vehicles;
                    (B) the number of existing and planned level 2 
                charging stations and direct current fast charging 
                stations for public sector and commercial--
                            (i) fleet electric vehicles; and
                            (ii) medium- and heavy-duty electric 
                        vehicles; and
                    (C) the number and type of electric vehicle 
                charging stations installed in or around, or available 
                to occupants of--
                            (i) public housing; or
                            (ii) affordable housing; and
            (6) describe the methodology used to obtain the information 
        provided in the report.
    (c) Updated Assessment.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) update the assessment conducted under subsection (a); 
        and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
        House of Representatives and make publicly available a report 
        that--
                    (A) updates the information reported under 
                subsection (b); and
                    (B) includes a description of case studies and key 
                lessons learned after the date on which the report 
                under subsection (b) was submitted with respect to 
                expanding the deployment of electric vehicle charging 
                infrastructure in underserved or disadvantaged 
                communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

SEC. 4. ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING EQUITY PROGRAM.

    (a) Program.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the 
``EV Charging Equity Program'', to increase the deployment and 
accessibility of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in 
underserved or disadvantaged communities by--
            (1) providing technical assistance to eligible individuals 
        and entities described in subsection (b); and
            (2) awarding grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
        individuals and entities described in subsection (b) for 
        projects that increase the deployment and accessibility of 
        electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including electric 
        vehicle charging infrastructure that is--
                    (A) publicly accessible;
                    (B) located within or around, or is easily 
                accessible to residents of--
                            (i) public or affordable housing;
                            (ii) multi-unit dwellings; or
                            (iii) single-family homes; or
                    (C) located within or around, or is easily 
                accessible to, places of work, subject to the condition 
                that the electric vehicle charging infrastructure is 
                publicly accessible not less than 5 days per week.
    (b) Eligible Individuals and Entities.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), an eligible 
        individual or entity referred to in subsection (a) is--
                    (A) an individual or household that owns any 
                property on which a project will be carried out;
                    (B) a State, local, Tribal, or territorial 
                government;
                    (C) an agency or department of a State, local, 
                Tribal, or territorial government;
                    (D) an electric utility, including--
                            (i) a municipally owned electric utility;
                            (ii) a publicly owned electric utility;
                            (iii) an investor-owned utility; and
                            (iv) a rural electric cooperative;
                    (E) a nonprofit organization or institution;
                    (F) a public housing authority;
                    (G) an institution of higher education (as defined 
                in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1001));
                    (H) a local small or disadvantaged business; or
                    (I) a partnership between 2 or more individuals or 
                entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (H).
            (2) Updates.--In carrying out the EV Charging Equity 
        Program, the Secretary may establish a list of eligible 
        individuals and entities that includes individuals or entities 
        not described in paragraph (1) or excludes individuals or 
        entities described in that paragraph if the Secretary 
        determines that including or excluding the individual or entity 
        would be beneficial to increasing the deployment and 
        accessibility of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in 
        underserved or disadvantaged communities.
    (c) Cost Share.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amount of a grant awarded under this section for a project 
        shall not exceed 80 percent of the costs of the project.
            (2) Single-family homes.--The amount of a grant awarded 
        under this section for a project that involves, as a primary 
        focus, single-family homes shall not exceed 60 percent of the 
        costs of the project.
    (d) Limitation.--Not more than 15 percent of the total amount of 
grants awarded under this section each fiscal year may be awarded for 
projects that involve, as a primary focus, single-family homes.
    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants and providing technical 
assistance under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to 
projects that--
            (1) provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of 
        people within an underserved or disadvantaged community;
            (2) incorporate renewable energy resources;
            (3) maximize local job creation, particularly among low-
        income, women, and minority workers; or
            (4) utilize or involve locally owned small and 
        disadvantaged businesses, including women- and minority-owned 
        businesses.
    (f) Public Notice and Request for Applications.--The Secretary 
shall publish in the Federal Register and such other publications as 
the Secretary considers to be appropriate a notice and request for 
applications to carry out projects under the EV Charging Equity 
Program.
    (g) Education and Outreach.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the EV Charging Equity 
        Program, the Secretary shall establish an education and 
        outreach campaign to ensure that information regarding the 
        program and the benefits of, and opportunities for, electric 
        vehicle charging infrastructure is made available to 
        individuals and relevant entities that live within or serve 
        underserved or disadvantaged communities.
            (2) Requirements.--At a minimum, the education and outreach 
        campaign established under this subsection shall include--
                    (A) the development and dissemination of an 
                electric vehicle charging resource guide that is--
                            (i) maintained electronically on a website;
                            (ii) available to the public, free of 
                        charge; and
                            (iii) directed specifically toward 
                        individuals and relevant entities that live 
                        within or serve underserved or disadvantaged 
                        communities;
                    (B) targeted outreach toward, and coordinated 
                public outreach with, relevant State, local, and Tribal 
                entities, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of 
                higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that are 
                located within or serve underserved or disadvantaged 
                communities; and
                    (C) any other forms of education or outreach that 
                the Secretary determines to be appropriate to increase 
                awareness of, and access to, the EV Charging Equity 
                Program.
    (h) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the EV Charging Equity Program is established under this section, 
and not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and make publicly available a report on the status of 
the EV Charging Equity Program, including--
            (1) a list and description of projects for which a grant or 
        technical assistance has been provided under this section; and
            (2) a description of the amount of funding or assistance 
        provided with respect to each of those projects.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $96,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2030.

SEC. 5. ENSURING PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR UNDERSERVED AND DISADVANTAGED 
              COMMUNITIES.

    In administering a relevant program, the Secretary, to the maximum 
extent practicable, shall invest or direct available and relevant 
programmatic resources to ensure that each relevant program--
            (1) promotes electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
            (2) supports clean and multi-modal transportation;
            (3) provides improved air quality and emissions reductions; 
        and
            (4) prioritizes the needs of underserved or disadvantaged 
        communities.
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