Title: Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2020
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the state of, challenges to, and opportunities for the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in urban areas, particularly in underserved or disadvantaged communities. If practicable, DOE must ensure that relevant programs provide access to electric vehicle infrastructure, address clean transportation needs, and provide improved air quality in such communities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5751 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5751

 To increase deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in 
    low-income communities and communities of color, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2020

Ms. Clarke of New York (for herself, Ms. Moore, Mr. Soto, Mr. Grijalva, 
Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, and Ms. Jayapal) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
 in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 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 2020''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The transportation sector is the largest single source 
        of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
            (2) The transportation sector is also a major source of air 
        pollution in the United States, including over 55 percent of 
        total nitrogen oxide emissions, leading to poor air quality and 
        negative health impacts, particularly in urban areas.
            (3) Increasing the deployment of electric vehicles and 
        electric vehicle charging infrastructure is an essential 
        component of combating climate change, decarbonizing the 
        economy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and health-
        harming air pollution in the United States.
            (4) Industries relating to electric vehicles, electric 
        vehicle charging infrastructure, and the larger clean energy 
        economy are substantial and diverse sources of good jobs and 
        significant contributors to economic growth.
            (5) A substantial increase in electric vehicle charging 
        infrastructure within urban areas will ensure that our cities 
        are ready to meet the demands of expected electric vehicle 
        deployment in the short-term and long-term.
            (6) Low-income communities and communities of color bear 
        disproportionate climate change and pollution burdens, and 
        therefore, these communities must be among the first to receive 
        investment relating to new technologies and infrastructure that 
        address the climate crisis and mitigate localized environmental 
        pollution.

SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN URBAN 
              AREAS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Assessment.--The Secretary shall conduct an assessment 
        of the state of, challenges to, and opportunities for the 
        deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in urban 
        areas, particularly in underserved or disadvantaged 
        communities.
            (2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate a report on the results of the 
        assessment conducted under paragraph (1), which shall--
                    (A) describe the state of deployment with respect 
                to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in major 
                urban areas throughout the United States, particularly 
                in underserved or disadvantaged communities, 
                including--
                            (i) with respect to Level 2 charging 
                        stations and DC Fast charging stations--
                                    (I) the number of existing and 
                                planned stations per capita for 
                                charging individually owned light-duty 
                                and medium-duty vehicles;
                                    (II) the number of existing and 
                                planned stations for charging public 
                                and private fleet vehicles, rideshare 
                                vehicles, and medium-duty and heavy-
                                duty equipment and vehicles; and
                                    (III) the number of stations 
                                installed in multi-unit dwellings or 
                                available to occupants of multi-unit 
                                dwellings;
                                    (IV) ownership models for stations 
                                located in publicly owned and privately 
                                owned residential multi-unit dwellings, 
                                commercial buildings, public and 
                                private parking areas, and curbside 
                                locations;
                                    (V) how such stations are financed; 
                                and
                                    (VI) the rates charged at such 
                                stations; and
                            (ii) policies, plans, and programs that 
                        cities, States, utilities, and private entities 
                        are using to encourage greater deployment of 
                        electric vehicles and associated electric 
                        vehicle charging infrastructure;
                    (B) identify the current barriers to expanding 
                deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure 
                in urban areas, particularly in underserved or 
                disadvantaged communities, including any challenges 
                relating to charging infrastructure deployment in 
                publicly owned and privately owned multi-unit 
                dwellings;
                    (C) identify and analyze the policies and 
                procedures used by State and local governments and 
                private entities to increase deployment of electric 
                vehicle charging infrastructure in urban areas, 
                particularly in underserved or disadvantaged 
                communities, including with respect to--
                            (i) public outreach and engagement 
                        strategy; and
                            (ii) increasing deployment of charging 
                        infrastructure in publicly owned and privately 
                        owned multi-unit dwellings;
                    (D) identify the number of electric vehicle 
                charging stations per capita at locations within each 
                major urban area in the United States with detail at 
                the level of zip codes and census tracts; and
                    (E) describe the methodology used to obtain the 
                information in the report.
            (3) Methodology.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources in the Senate on the methodology that will be used to 
        conduct the assessment under paragraph (1) and produce the 
        report under paragraph (2).
    (b) Five-Year Update Assessment.--Not later than five years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) update the assessment conducted under subsection 
        (a)(1); and
            (2) make public and submit to the Committee on Energy and 
        Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report, which 
        shall--
                    (A) update the information described in subsection 
                (a)(2); and
                    (B) include a description of case studies and key 
                lessons learned after the report under subsection 
                (a)(2) was submitted with respect to expanding the 
                deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure 
                in urban areas, particularly in underserved or 
                disadvantaged communities.

SEC. 4. ENSURING PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR UNDERSERVED AND DISADVANTAGED 
              COMMUNITIES.

    In administering a relevant program, the Secretary shall ensure, to 
the extent practicable, that such program provides access to electric 
vehicle infrastructure, addresses clean transportation needs, and 
provides improved air quality in underserved or disadvantaged 
communities.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Electric vehicle charging infrastructure.--The term 
        ``electric vehicle charging infrastructure'' means electric 
        vehicle supply equipment, including any conductors, electric 
        vehicle connectors, attachment plugs, and all other fittings, 
        devices, power outlets, or apparatuses installed specifically 
        for the purposes of delivering energy to an electric vehicle.
            (2) Major urban area.--The term ``major urban area'' means 
        a metropolitan statistical area within the United States with 
        an estimated population that is greater than or equal to 
        1,500,000.
            (3) Relevant program.--The term ``relevant program'' means 
        a program of the Department of Energy, including--
                    (A) the State energy program 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 of the 
                Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
                17152);
                    (D) loan guarantees made pursuant to title XVII of 
                the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16511 et 
                seq.); and
                    (E) such other programs as the Secretary determines 
                appropriate.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (5) Underserved or disadvantaged community.--The term 
        ``underserved or disadvantaged community'' means a community 
        located in a zip code within a census tract that is identified 
        as--
                    (A) a low-income urban community;
                    (B) an urban community of color;
                    (C) having a significantly low number of electric 
                vehicle charging stations per capita; or
                    (D) any other urban community that the Secretary 
                determines is disproportionately vulnerable to, or 
                bears a disproportionate burden of, any combination of 
                economic, social, and environmental stressors.
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