Title: A bill to establish a working group on electric vehicles.
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy to jointly establish a working group to make recommendations on the development, adoption, and integration of certain electric vehicles into U.S. transportation and energy systems. In addition, the working group must develop, electronically publish, and update a resource guide that provides information about electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 508 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 508

           To establish a working group on electric vehicles.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 1, 2021

 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Merkley, 
  Ms. Rosen, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Heinrich, and Mr. Wyden) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
           To establish a working group on electric vehicles.

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

SECTION 1. ELECTRIC VEHICLE WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment of Working Group.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 240 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation and the 
        Secretary of Energy (referred to in this section as the 
        ``Secretaries'') shall jointly establish a working group 
        (referred to in this section as the ``working group'') to make 
        recommendations on the development, adoption, and integration 
        of light and heavy duty electric vehicles into the 
        transportation and energy systems of the United States.
            (2) Membership.--
                    (A) In general.--The working group shall be 
                composed of--
                            (i) the Secretaries (or designees), who 
                        shall be co-chairs of the working group; and
                            (ii) not more than 25 members to be 
                        appointed by the Secretaries, of whom--
                                    (I) not more than 6 shall be 
                                Federal stakeholders as described in 
                                subparagraph (B); and
                                    (II) not more than 19 shall be non-
                                Federal stakeholders as described in 
                                subparagraph (C).
                    (B) Federal stakeholders.--The working group--
                            (i) shall include not less than 1 
                        representative of each of--
                                    (I) the Department of 
                                Transportation;
                                    (II) the Department of Energy;
                                    (III) the Environmental Protection 
                                Agency;
                                    (IV) the Council on Environmental 
                                Quality; and
                                    (V) the General Services 
                                Administration; and
                            (ii) may include a representative of any 
                        other Federal agency the Secretaries consider 
                        to be appropriate.
                    (C) Non-federal stakeholders.--
                            (i) In general.--The working group--
                                    (I) shall include not less than 1 
                                representative of each of--
                                            (aa) a manufacturer of 
                                        electric vehicles or the 
                                        relevant components of electric 
                                        vehicles;
                                            (bb) an owner, operator, or 
                                        manufacturer of electric 
                                        vehicle charging equipment;
                                            (cc) the public utility 
                                        industry;
                                            (dd) a public utility 
                                        regulator or association of 
                                        public utility regulators;
                                            (ee) the transportation 
                                        fueling distribution and 
                                        retailer industry;
                                            (ff) the energy provider 
                                        industry;
                                            (gg) the automotive dealing 
                                        industry;
                                            (hh) the passenger 
                                        transportation industry;
                                            (ii) an organization 
                                        representing a unit of local 
                                        government;
                                            (jj) a regional 
                                        transportation or planning 
                                        agency;
                                            (kk) an organization 
                                        representing State departments 
                                        of transportation;
                                            (ll) an organization 
                                        representing State departments 
                                        of energy or State energy 
                                        planners;
                                            (mm) an expert in 
                                        intelligent transportation 
                                        systems and technologies;
                                            (nn) organized labor;
                                            (oo) the trucking industry;
                                            (pp) Tribal governments; 
                                        and
                                            (qq) the property 
                                        development industry; and
                                    (II) may include a representative 
                                of any other non-Federal stakeholder 
                                that the Secretaries consider to be 
                                appropriate.
                            (ii) Requirement.--The Secretaries shall 
                        ensure that the members of the working group 
                        selected under clause (i) shall include--
                                    (I) individuals with a balance of 
                                backgrounds, experiences, and 
                                viewpoints; and
                                    (II) individuals that represent 
                                geographically diverse regions of the 
                                United States, including from rural, 
                                urban, and suburban areas.
            (3) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--The working group shall meet not 
                less frequently than once every 120 days.
                    (B) Remote participation.--A member of the working 
                group may participate in a meeting of the working group 
                via teleconference or similar means.
            (4) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties of the 
        working group, the working group shall coordinate and consult 
        with any existing Federal interagency working groups on fleet 
        conversion or other similar matters related to electric 
        vehicles.
    (b) Joint Report and Strategy on Electric Vehicle Adoption, 
Opportunities, and Challenges.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretaries, in consultation with the 
        working group, shall submit to Congress by each of the 
        deadlines described in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) a report on the status of electric vehicle 
                adoption and opportunities for and challenges to 
                expanding adoption of electric vehicles, including--
                            (i) a description of the barriers and 
                        opportunities to scaling up electric vehicle 
                        adoption nationwide, with recommendations for 
                        issues relating to--
                                    (I) consumer behavior;
                                    (II) charging infrastructure needs, 
                                including standardization and smart 
                                charging;
                                    (III) manufacturing and battery 
                                costs, including the raw material 
                                shortages for batteries and electric 
                                motor magnets;
                                    (IV) the adoption of electric 
                                vehicles for low- and moderate-income 
                                individuals and underserved 
                                communities, including charging 
                                infrastructure access and vehicle 
                                purchase financing;
                                    (V) business models for charging 
                                electric vehicles outside the home, 
                                including wired and wireless charging;
                                    (VI) charging infrastructure 
                                permitting and regulatory issues;
                                    (VII) the connections between 
                                housing and transportation costs and 
                                emissions;
                                    (VIII) freight transportation, 
                                including local, port and drayage, 
                                regional, and long-haul trucking;
                                    (IX) intercity passenger travel;
                                    (X) the need or potential for model 
                                building codes for charging 
                                infrastructure;
                                    (XI) the process by which 
                                governments collect a user fee for the 
                                contribution of electric vehicles to 
                                funding roadway improvements and 
                                potential investments in charging 
                                infrastructure;
                                    (XII) State and local level 
                                policies, incentives, and zoning 
                                efforts;
                                    (XIII) the installation of highway 
                                corridor signage;
                                    (XIV) cybersecurity of charging 
                                infrastructure;
                                    (XV) secondary markets and 
                                recycling for batteries, including 
                                battery collection initiatives;
                                    (XVI) grid integration;
                                    (XVII) energy storage; and
                                    (XVIII) specific regional or local 
                                issues that--
                                            (aa) are associated with--

                                                    (AA) the issues 
                                                described in subclauses 
                                                (I) through (XVII); or

                                                    (BB) urban or rural 
                                                environments; and

                                            (bb) may not appear 
                                        nationwide, but hamper a 
                                        nationwide adoption or 
                                        coordination of electric 
                                        vehicles;
                            (ii) examples of successful public and 
                        private models and demonstration projects that 
                        encourage electric vehicle adoption; and
                            (iii) an analysis of current efforts to 
                        overcome the barriers described in clause (i); 
                        and
                    (B) a strategy that describes how the Federal 
                Government, States, units of local government, and 
                industry can--
                            (i) set quantitative targets for 
                        transportation electrification;
                            (ii) overcome the barriers described in 
                        subparagraph (A)(i);
                            (iii) identify areas of opportunity in 
                        research and development to improve battery 
                        manufacturing, mineral mining, recycling costs 
                        and battery collection, material recovery, and 
                        battery performance for electric vehicles;
                            (iv) enhance Federal interagency 
                        coordination to promote electric vehicle 
                        adoption;
                            (v) promote electric vehicle knowledge and 
                        expertise within State and local governments;
                            (vi) prepare the workforce for the adoption 
                        of electric vehicles, including through 
                        collaboration with labor unions, colleges and 
                        other educational institutions, and relevant 
                        manufacturers;
                            (vii) expand electric vehicle and charging 
                        infrastructure--
                                    (I) knowledge and use among 
                                Federal, State, and local governments, 
                                school districts, and private entities; 
                                and
                                    (II) adoption among the fleets of 
                                the entities described in subclause 
                                (I);
                            (viii) expand knowledge of the benefits of 
                        electric vehicles among the general public;
                            (ix) maintain the global competitiveness of 
                        the United States in the electric vehicle and 
                        charging infrastructure markets;
                            (x) provide clarity in regulations to 
                        improve national uniformity with respect to 
                        electric vehicles; and
                            (xi) ensure the sustainable integration of 
                        electric vehicles into the national electric 
                        grid.
            (2) Deadlines.--A joint report and strategy under paragraph 
        (1) shall be submitted by--
                    (A) for the first report, not later than 18 months 
                after the date on which the working group is 
                established under subsection (a)(1);
                    (B) for the second report, not later than 2 years 
                after the date on which the first report is required to 
                be submitted under subparagraph (A); and
                    (C) for the third report, not later than 2 years 
                after the date on which the second report is required 
                to be submitted under subparagraph (B).
            (3) Information.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretaries may enter into an 
                agreement with the Transportation Research Board of the 
                National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
                Medicine to provide, track, or report data, 
                information, or research to assist the Secretaries in 
                carrying out paragraph (1).
                    (B) Use of existing information.--In developing the 
                report and strategy under paragraph (1), the 
                Secretaries and the working group shall consider 
                existing Federal, State, local, private sector, and 
                academic data and information relating to electric 
                vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable, 
                coordinate with the entities that publish that 
                information--
                            (i) to prevent duplication of efforts by 
                        the Federal Government; and
                            (ii) to leverage existing information and 
                        complementary efforts.
    (c) Electric Vehicle Resource Guide.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretaries shall electronically 
        publish and update a resource guide to provide information to 
        increase knowledge about electric vehicles and necessary 
        charging infrastructure for consumers, State, local, and Tribal 
        governments (including transit agencies or authorities, public 
        tolling authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, 
        public utility commissions, and public service companies), and 
        businesses that sell motor vehicles.
            (2) Inclusions.--A resource guide under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    (A) information on--
                            (i) the general characteristics of electric 
                        vehicles (including passenger vehicles, 
                        electric vehicles for public transportation, 
                        school buses, and electric vehicles for 
                        commercial use); and
                            (ii) the types of charging solutions 
                        available to consumers, including, to the 
                        maximum extent practicable, a digitally 
                        accessible compilation of existing mapping of 
                        publicly available charging stations in the 
                        United States;
                    (B) information on electrifying business and 
                government vehicle fleets;
                    (C) information on Federal grant programs available 
                to State and local governments for the purchase of 
                electric vehicles for public transportation;
                    (D) a description of current financial and 
                nonfinancial incentives for electric vehicles; and
                    (E) any other information that--
                            (i) a representative of industry or State 
                        or local government requests to be included; 
                        and
                            (ii) the working group recommends and 
                        determines to be appropriate.
            (3) Use of existing guides.--In publishing and maintaining 
        the resource guide under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and the 
        working group shall consider existing Federal, State, local, 
        private sector, and academic guides relating to electric 
        vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate 
        with the entities publishing those guides--
                    (A) to prevent duplication of efforts by the 
                Federal Government; and
                    (B) to leverage existing information and 
                complementary efforts.
            (4) Resource guide outreach.--The Secretaries, in 
        consultation with the working group, shall conduct outreach to 
        consumers, State, local, and Tribal governments (including 
        transit agencies or authorities, public tolling authorities, 
        metropolitan planning organizations, public utility 
        commissions, and public service companies), and businesses that 
        sell motor vehicles through the websites of the Department of 
        Transportation and the Department of Energy, social media, and 
        other methods--
                    (A) to provide the resource guide under paragraph 
                (1) to interested stakeholders, including relevant 
                consumer groups and transportation-related 
                organizations;
                    (B) to promote the use of electric vehicles in both 
                government and industry fleets; and
                    (C) to educate individuals involved in the sale of 
                motor vehicles about the benefits of electric vehicles.
            (5) Subsequent resource guides.--Not less frequently than 
        every 2 years for the duration of the working group, the 
        working group shall publish an update to the resource guide 
        under paragraph (1), as appropriate based on technological 
        innovation and subsequent information.
            (6) Accessibility.--The Secretaries shall each maintain the 
        resource guide under paragraph (1) on a designated website, 
        which may be an existing website, of each Secretary relating to 
        electric vehicles.
    (d) Coordination.--To the maximum extent practicable, the 
Secretaries and the working group shall carry out this section using 
all available existing resources, websites, and databases of Federal 
agencies, such as the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the Energy 
Efficient Mobility Systems program, and the Clean Cities Coalition 
Network.
    (e) Funding.--The Secretaries shall carry out this section using 
existing funds made available to the Secretaries and not otherwise 
obligated, of which--
            (1) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the 
        Secretary of Transportation; and
            (2) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the 
        Secretary of Energy.
    (f) Termination.--The working group shall terminate on the date on 
which the third report under subsection (b) is submitted.
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