Author: Jennifer Harper

EV POLICY UPDATE 3-7-22
Hello friends of Drive Electric Washington! Only four days left in this year’s state legislative session, which winds up on March 10. Several bills still are in play and could use your support. Please see below for updates and information about how to participate. 
THIS WEEK
HB1918 – Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax. Sponsor Rep. Macri. Passed out of Finance Committee Feb. 25. Amended bill passed full House on March 4 by a vote of 81-15. Public hearing at 5 p.m. March 7 in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read amended bill here.
SB5543 – Creates a program providing rebates for new all electric landscaping equipment in exchange for operating gas and diesel equipment that would be scrapped or recycled. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Executive session at 5 p.m. March 7 in Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.   SB5967 – Imposing a state climate resiliency and mitigation surcharge on large financial institutions financing the global fossil fuel industry while recognizing the financial institution industry’s efforts to address climate change. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Executive session at 5 p.m. March 7 in Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.
UPDATES HB1644 – Funds planning and fueling infrastructure for clean student transportation vehicles. Sponsor Rep. Senn. Amended bill passed full Senate on March 2 by as vote of 46-1. Amendment adds conversion or repowering existing school buses to zero-emission vehicles. Sent back to House for concurrence. Read amended text here. HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsor Rep. Hackney. Amended bill passed full Senate on March 1 by a vote of 32-17. Sent to Governor for signature. Read amended text here. SB5085 – Reducing EV fee for electric motorcycles. Sponsor Sen. Rolfes. Reduces the annual $150 electric vehicle registration fee to $30 for electric motorcycles. Bill passed full Senate Feb. 25 on a vote of 47-2. Passed out of House Transportation Committee on Feb. 28, and referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here.
SB5689 – Supplemental Transportation Appropriations – pilot program for gasoline superusers. Sponsor Sen. Liias. The bill appropriates $500,000 for a pilot project to study how to convert gasoline superusers to driving electric. including how much money is saved, how many gallons of gas are displaced, what incentives will help, and what messaging is most effective. Amended bill passed full House on Feb. 26 by a vote of 91-3. Referred to conference committee to reach a compromise. Read text here.
SB5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Passed out of House Appropriations Committee Feb. 28. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read text of substitute bill here. SB5974 – 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes Clean Cars 2030 target. Also creates interagency council for coordinating the state’s transportation electrification efforts to ensure it’s leveraging state and federal resources to the best extent possible and to ensure zero emissions incentives, infrastructure and opportunities are available and accessible to all. House amendments include expanding the responsibilities assigned to the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council to include the development of a public and private outreach plan, creation of an industry electric vehicle advisory committee, and ensuring that activities related to transportation electrification benefit vulnerable and overburdened communities. Amended bill passed full House on March 1 by a vote of 54-43. Referred to conference committee to reach a compromise. Read amended text here. SB5975 – 2002 Transportation Appropriations. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes appropriation of $1 million for grants for development of zero-emission aircraft, and $15 million for another hybrid electric ferry. Amended bill passed full House on March 1 by a vote of 55-40. Referred to conference committee to reach a compromise. Read amended text here. PROBABLY DEAD THIS SESSION
HB1731 – Enhancing the requirements for autonomous vehicle testing. Sponsor: Kloba. Read text here. HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsor Rep. Ramel. Read text here. HB1831 – Electrician certification program, Creates an EV infrastructure training program and requires electricians certified through that to be present when public chargers are being installed or maintained. Sponsors Reps. Bronoske, Berry, Macri, and Ramel. Read text here. HB2026 – Pilot program for per mile road use charge on vehicles in place of the gas tax. Sponsor Rep. Wicks. Read text here.
HB2100 – Drops a requirement for reporting moving violations by autonomous vehicles in testing programs, and requires a plan for interactions with the vehicle in emergency and traffic enforcement situations. Sponsors Reps. Boehnke, Bronoske and Sutherland. Read text here.
SB5308 – Removes the additional $75 transportation electrification fee on hybrids and plug-in vehicles that travel less than 30 miles on battery power. Sponsor Sen. Short. Read text here. SB5526 – Requires a report to the Legislature on the global availability of lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing. Sponsor: Fortunato. Read text here. SB5828 – Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsor Sen. Nguyen. Read text here. SB5896 – Changes optional report on recharging vehicles at state offices to a requirement. Sponsor Sen. Sefzik. Read text here.
HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.
Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

ReplyForward

EV POLICY UPDATE 2-28-22

Hello friends of Drive Electric Washington! Still no word on whether the governor’s proposed EV incentives will be added to transportation bills. Please see below for updates and information about how to participate. This year’s legislative session ends on March 10.

UPDATES

HB1644 – Funds planning and fueling infrastructure for clean student transportation vehicles. Sponsor Rep. Senn. Passed out of Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Feb. 23. Referred to Rules Committee. Read text here.

HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsor Rep. Ramel. Amended bill referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here.

HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsor Rep. Hackney. Passed out of Senate Law and Justice Committee on Feb. 25. Referred to Senate Rules Committee. Read text here.

HB1918 – Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax and imposes an additional 6.5% air quality tax on equipment with emissions. Sponsor Rep. Macri. Passed out of Finance Committee Feb. 25. The amended bill removes the additional 6.5 percent tax on equipment with emissions other than water, requires state agencies and local governments to buy zero-emission large outdoor equipment when it’s practicable, and allows exemptions for emergencies and other uses. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read amended bill here.

HB2119 – Companion bill to SB5974. 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Rep. Fey. Amended bill passed out of Transportation Committee. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read amended text here

SB5085 – Reducing EV fee for electric motorcycles. Sponsor Sen. Rolfes. Reduces the annual $150 electric vehicle registration fee to $30 for electric motorcycles. Bill passed full Senate Feb. 25 on a vote of 47-2. Hearing on Feb. 28 in House Transportation Committee. Read text here.

SB5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Passed out of Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Feb. 24. Hearing on Feb. 25 in House Appropriations Committee. Executive session on Feb. 28 in House Appropriations Committee. Read text of substitute bill here.

SB5974 – 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes Clean Cars 2030 target. Also creates interagency council for coordinating the state’s transportation electrification efforts to ensure it’s leveraging state and federal resources to the best extent possible and to ensure zero emissions incentives, infrastructure and opportunities are available and accessible to all. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here.

SB5975 – 2002 Transportation Appropriations. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes appropriation of $1 million for grants for development of zero-emission aircraft, and $15 million for another hybrid electric ferry. Passed full Senate on Feb. 25 by a vote of 29-20. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here.

HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.
Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House
You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.

EV POLICY UPDATE 2-21-22
Hello friends of Drive Electric Washington! Still no word on whether the governor’s proposed EV incentives will be added to transportation bills. Coming up this week, please see below for public hearing details, updates and information about how to participate. Happy President’s Day!
HEARINGS THIS WEEK: SB5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Co-Sponsors Hawkins, Billig, Conway, Hunt, Mullet, Saldaña, and Stanford. Hearing at 8 a.m. Feb. 22 in the House Environment and Energy Committee. Executive session at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 in the House Environment and Energy Committee. Read text of substitute bill here.
SB5967 – Imposing a state climate resiliency and mitigation surcharge on large financial institutions financing the global fossil fuel industry while recognizing the financial institution industry’s efforts to address climate change. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.
SB5975 – 2002 Transportation Appropriations. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes appropriation of $1 million for grants for development of zero-emission aircraft, and $15 million for another hybrid electric ferry. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 21 in Senate Transportation Committee. Executive session at 3 p.m. Feb. 23 in Senate Transportation Committee. Read text here.
UPDATES HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsors: Ramel, Orcutt, Abbarno, Fitzgibbon. Amended bill passed out of House Finance Committee Feb. 17. Read text here.
HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsors: Hackney, Fitzgibbon, Berry. Executive session at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 24 in the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Read text here.
HB2119 – Companion bill to SB5974. 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Rep. Fey. Executive session at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the House Transportation Committee. Read text here.
SB5085 – Reducing EV fee for electric motorcycles. Sponsor Sen. Rolfes. Reduces the annual $150 electric vehicle registration fee to $30 for electric motorcycles. Executive session at 4 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.
SB5974 – 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes Clean Cars 2030 target. Also creates interagency council for coordinating the state’s transportation electrification efforts to ensure it’s leveraging state and federal resources to the best extent possible and to ensure zero emissions incentives, infrastructure and opportunities are available and accessible to all. Amended bill passed full Senate on Feb. 15 by a vote of 29-20. Referred to House Transportation Committee. Read text here.
HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.
Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Hello friends of Drive Electric Washington! Sorry to be late with this week’s policy update. Things are heating up in Olympia during the latter part of the 2022 session, and several hearings are scheduled for this week. Introduced last week were the Omnibus Transportation Package and the Transportation Appropriations bill. Neither included the governor’s proposed EV incentives and rebates, but discussion is continuing about how and if to add these options. Please see below for public hearing details, updates and information about how to participate.
NEW LAST WEEK: 
SB5974 – 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes Clean Cars 2030 target. Also creates interagency council for coordinating the state’s transportation electrification efforts to ensure it’s leveraging state and federal resources to the best extent possible and to ensure zero emissions incentives, infrastructure and opportunities are available and accessible to all. Passed out of Senate Transportation Committee Feb. 14. Referred to Senate Rules Committee. Read text here.
HB2119 – Companion bill to SB5974. 2022 Transportation Omnibus. Sponsor Rep. Fey. Referred to House Transportation Committee. Hearing at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 17 in House Transportation Committee. Read text here. SB5975 – 2002 Transportation Appropriations. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Includes appropriation of $1 million for grants for development of zero-emission aircraft, and $15 million for another hybrid electric ferry. Referred to Senate Transportation Committee. Read text here.

HEARINGS THIS WEEK: HB1644 – Funds planning and fueling infrastructure for clean student transportation vehicles. Sponsors Reps. Senn, Ybarra, Leavitt, Bateman, Ryu, Shewmake, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Valdez. Passed full House Feb. 9 on a vote of 94-2. Hearing at 8 a.m. Feb. 18 in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education. Read text here.

HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsors: Hackney, Fitzgibbon, Berry. Passed full House on Feb. 9 by vote of 67-29. Hearing at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 17 in Senate Law & Justice Committee. Read text here.
HB1918 – Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax and imposes an additional 6.5% air quality tax on equipment with emissions. Sponsor Rep. Macri. Hearing at 8 a.m. Feb. 17 in House Finance Committee. Read text here. SB5543 – Creates a program providing rebates for new all electric landscaping equipment in exchange for operating gas and diesel equipment that would be scrapped or recycled. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 17 in Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.
UPDATES HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsors: Ramel, Orcutt, Abbarno, Fitzgibbon. Executive session at 8 a.m. Feb. 17 in House Finance Committee. Read text here.
SB5085 – Reducing EV fee for electric motorcycles. Sponsor Sen. Rolfes. Reduces the annual $150 electric vehicle registration fee to $30 for electric motorcycles. Passed out of Senate Transportation Committee Feb. 14. Referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here. SB5828 – Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsor Sen. Nguyen. Passed out of Senate Transportation Committee Feb. 7. Read text here. SB5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Co-Sponsors Hawkins, Billig, Conway, Hunt, Mullet, Saldaña, and Stanford. Passed full Senate on Feb. 12 by a vote of 49-0. Read text of substitute bill here.
HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.
Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Hello friends of Drive Electric Washington! Here is a summary of what is new with EV policy issues this week in the Washington State Legislature. We are halfway through this year’s session, and a few bills are making progress. Please see below for public hearing details, updates and information about how to participate.
NEW THIS WEEK: 
HB5967 – Imposing a state climate resiliency and mitigation surcharge on large financial institutions financing the global fossil fuel industry while recognizing the financial institution industry’s efforts to address climate change. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. From 2023 through 2049, the bill would impose a climate resiliency and mitigation surcharge on financial institutions that are members of a consolidated financial group with an annual net income of at least $1 billion, and that are bankers of fossil fuel industries. Referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read text here.

HEARING THIS WEEK: HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsors: Ramel, Orcutt, Abbarno, Fitzgibbon. Hearing at 8 a.m. Feb. 7 in House Finance Committee. Read text here.

UPDATES HB1644 – Funds planning and fueling infrastructure for clean student transportation vehicles. Sponsors Reps.Senn, Ybarra, Leavitt, Bateman, Ryu, Shewmake, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Valdez. Amended bill passed out of committee Jan. 27. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here. HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsors: Hackney, Fitzgibbon, Berry. Substitute bill passed out of committee Jan. 28. Substitute allows alternate ways for user to pay for electricity besides a separate meter. Referred to Rules Committee. Read text here.

HB1831 – Electrician certification program for EV charging station installation, Sponsors Reps. Bronoske, Berry, Macri, and Ramel. Substitute bill passed out of committee Feb. 2. Referred to House Rules Committee. Read text here.

SB5526 – Requires a report to the Legislature on the global availability of lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing. Sponsor: Fortunato. Substitute bill passed out of committee Feb. 1. Substitute requires the state to conduct research and report on recycling batteries and reclaiming minerals. Referred to Senate Rules Committee. Read text here.
SB5828 – Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsor Sen. Nguyen. Executive session at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in Senate Transportation Committee. Read text here.
HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.
Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Hello members of Drive Electric Washington! Here is a summary of what is new with EV policy issues this week in the Washington State Legislature. It will be busy in Olympia this week with several hearings that you might want to participate in, particularly:

• SB5308 – NEW! Removes $75 annual transportation electrification fee for hybrid and plug-in vehicles that travel less than 30 miles on battery power. Hearing on Thursday, Feb. 3.
• SB5908 – NEW! Creates a Clean Car Authority to distribute, coordinate and oversee electric vehicle grants. Hearing on Thursday, Feb. 3.
• HB2026 – Road usage charge public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 3.

Please see below for more new bills, public hearing details, updates and information about how to participate.
NEW THIS WEEK: 
HB2070 – Companion bill to SB5828, Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsors Reps. Boehnke, Bronoske and Sutherland. Referred to House Transportation Committee. Read text here. HB2100 – Drops a requirement for reporting moving violations by autonomous vehicles in testing programs, and requires a plan for interactions with the vehicle in emergency and traffic enforcement situations. Sponsors Reps. Boehnke, Bronoske and Sutherland. Hearing at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in House Transportation Committee. Removes requirement to include moving violations by autonomous vehicles in testing programs in annual reports to the Department of Licensing. It also drops a clause implying the Department can require information about collisions in addition to what the law currently specifies. It requires submitting a law enforcement interaction plan to the Department. Read text here. SB5308 – Removes the additional $75 transportation electrification fee on hybrids and plug-in vehicles that travel less than 30 miles on battery power. Sponsor Sen. Short. Reintroduced from 2021 session. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 3 in Senate Transportation Committee. Hybrids and plug-in vehicles that go less than 30 miles on a full charge pay the $75 annual transportation electrification fee, the same as BEVs, even if they can’t use public charging stations. This bill would eliminate that charge. Read text here. SB5896 – Changes optional report on recharging vehicles at state offices to a requirement. Sponsor Sen. Sefzik. Referred to Senate Government and Elections Committee. Currently, the Department of Enterprise Services is authorized to report to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the the number of plug-in electric vehicles charging at State offices, and the amount of state-purchased electricity consumed by them. The bill would change this from a report made when the Director deemed it necessary, if the cost were significant, to an annual requirement. Read text here. SB5908 – Creating a Clean Car Authority to distribute, coordinate and oversee electric vehicle grants. Sponsor Sen. Liias. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 3 in Senate Transportation Committee. The bill would create a new State agency, the Clean Car Authority, to distribute electric vehicle grant funding awarded to Washington from the Federal Infrastructure bill, provide a vision for the state about the most beneficial and efficient distribution of electric vehicle grants, as well as coordinating and overseeing their administration by state agencies and local governments. Read text here.
SJR8211 – Senate Joint Resolution submitting constitutional amendment on Road Usage Charge to voters Sponsor Sen. Fortunato. Referred to Senate Transportation Committee. The bill would submit a Constitutional amendment to the voters that would require any state revenue collected from a road usage charge, vehicle miles traveled fee, or other similar charge be used exclusively for highway purposes. Read text here.

ALSO THIS WEEK: HB1731 – Enhancing the requirements for autonomous vehicle testing. Sponsor: Kloba. Hearing at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in House Transportation Committee. Read text here.
HB 2026 – Pilot program for per mile road use charge on vehicles in place of the gas tax. Sponsor Rep. Wicks. Hearing at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in House Transportation Committee. Read text here. SB5828 – Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsor Sen. Nguyen. Hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 3 in Senate Transportation Committee. Read text here.
UPDATES
HB1644 – Funds planning and fueling infrastructure for clean student transportation vehicles. Sponsors Reps.Senn, Ybarra, Leavitt, Bateman, Ryu, Shewmake, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Valdez. Amended bill passed out of committee Jan. 27. Read text here.

HB1792 – Expanding various tax exemptions for the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen made by electrolysis. Sponsors: Ramel, Orcutt, Abbarno, Fitzgibbon. Passed out of committee Jan. 21. Referred to House Finance Committee. Read text here. HB1793 – Creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such as condominiums, cooperative apartments, and developments with homeowners’ associations. Sponsors: Hackney, Fitzgibbon, Berry. Substitute bill passed out of committee Jan. 28. Read text here.

HB1831 – Electrician certification program for EV charging station installation, Sponsors Reps. Bronoske, Berry, Macri, and Ramel. Executive session at 10 a.m. Feb. 1 in House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee. Read text here.
HB1918 – Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax and imposes an additional 6.5% air quality tax on equipment with emissions. Sponsor Rep. Macri. Substitute bill passed out of committee. Referred to House Finance Committee. Read text here.
SB5526 – Requires a report to the Legislature on the global availability of lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing. Sponsor: Fortunato. Executive session at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 1 in Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee. Read text here.
SB5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. Sponsor Sen. Carlysle. Co-Sponsors Hawkins, Billig, Conway, Hunt, Mullet, Saldaña, and Stanford. Executive Session at 8 a.m. Feb. 2 in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee. Read text here.

HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.
Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Hello Drive Electric Washington! Here is a brief summary of what is new with EV policy issues this week in the Washington State Legislature. Four hearings are coming up this week, and you will find information below about how to participate and share your thoughts:
NEW: 
SB5828 – Requires a plan for autonomous vehicles in emergency and traffic enforcement incidents. Sponsor Sen. Nguyen. The bill would no longer require including moving violations by autonomous vehicles in testing programs in their annual reports to the Department of Licensing. It also drops a clause implying the Department can require information about collisions in addition to what the law currently specifies. It requires submitting a law enforcement interaction plan to the Department including information on how to interact with the vehicle being tested in emergency and traffic enforcement situations, and requires submitting the expected period of time during which testing will occur to the Department rather than to various local and state law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over public roadways on which testing will occur. Referred to Senate Transportation Committee. Read text here.

SJM8008 – Senate Joint Memorial urging the United States Government to enter into a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty. Sponsor Sen. Das. Transmits a memorial from the Legislature to the President Biden, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and Washington’s Congressional representatives urging them to begin good faith negotiations to enter into a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. It would commit participating nations to end new fossil fuel exploration and expansion, phase out existing production in line with the global commitment to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and accelerate equitable transition plans. Referred to Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee. Read text here.

THIS WEEK: HB1792 – Hydrogen production tax exemption. Sponsors Reps. Ramel, Orcutt, Abbarno, Hearing at 8 a.m. Jan. 18 in the House Energy & Environment Committee. Fitzgibbon. Defines electrolytic hydrogen production facilities as “fuel cell vehicle infrastructure,” and grants sales and use tax exemptions for labor, services, and materials used in installing, constructing, repairing, or improving fuel cell infrastructure. Read text here.

HB1831 – Electrician certification program for EV charging station installation, Sponsors Reps. Bronoske, Berry, Macri, and Ramel. Hearing at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 in the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee. Requires the Department of Labor and Industries to create the rules for an electric vehicle infrastructure training program certification. Beginning July 1, 2023, all electric vehicle equipment intended for public use would have to be installed by appropriately licensed electrical contractors and appropriately certified electricians. At least one certified electrician would have to be present at any given time on a jobsite where that equipment was being installed or maintained. Read text here.
HB1918 – Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax and imposes an additional 6.5% air quality tax on equipment with emissions. Sponsor Rep. Macri. Hearing at 10 a.m. Jan. 20 in House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee. Adds an air quality improvement tax of 6.5% on each retail sale of outdoor power equipment that produced emissions. The tax would be collected through 2032, and apply to equipment with less than 25 horsepower. Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax, and requires electronic retailers to notify potential customers of that and of the 13% tax on other outdoor power equipment. It would prohibit state agencies and local governments from purchasing any outdoor power equipment with emissions after 2024. Read text here.

SB5526 -Report on lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing. Sponsor Sen. Fortunato. Hearing at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 in the Senate Business, Financial Services & Trade Committee. Requires the Department of Commerce to report to the Legislature on the global availability of lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing, because “the State is increasingly encouraging new energy storage technologies such as electric vehicles and electric grid-scale battery storage … dependent on rare earth minerals and difficult-to-source earth components.” Referred to Senate Business, Financial Services & Trade Committee. Read text here.

HOW TO TESTIFY:

Portals for remote testimony are available online for the state House and Senate.

• Senate portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate
• House portal: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House

You also can register your position on a bill or issue, and you can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives – find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.

Drive Electric Washington is seeking new advisory board members. Please submit your application if you are interested in this opportunity. The Advisory Board meets quarterly and serves as a sounding board to the Board of Directors. As an Advisory Board member, you may be contacted by the Board of Directors to provide input as we engage with legislators, state and local agencies, and the general public. We may ask you to participate in our speakers’ bureau or provide information on a local level. If you have experience or interest in transportation electrification, please consider applying for this important role in our organization.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVjUjTTeMW2QKyeZA75IQbPtxgMRTIw3roiot7TGiqczK4Aw/viewform?usp=pp_url

The transition to electric transportation continues to accelerate.  The 2021 State Energy Strategy estimates that one million internal combustion vehicles need to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 to meet the state’s target for reducing greenhouse gases. By 2035 all new car sales will need to be electric.

How will charging/fueling infrastructure develop and change during that time? How can the state optimize the use of public dollars? 

To help answer these questions, in spring 2021 the state legislature directed the  Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to develop a public mapping  and forecasting tool to support forecasted levels of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)  adoption and use across Washington (HB 1287). With teams from UW and WSU, WSDOT  is preparing information about the scope, cost and schedule for tool development. They  are requesting early input from stakeholders interested in the development and use of  this new online tool. The results of these efforts will be shared with legislators in time for  their next session. 

Attend a public listening session to learn about the new tool and offer your ideas:  Wednesday, December 1, from 2 to 4 pm  Monday, December 6, from 1 to 3 pm  Monday, December 13, from 4 to 6 pm  Register today!  (click the session you prefer from the dropdown list)

If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please share your ideas for making this tool  successful using this convenient online response form. 

You are also invited to send questions about this project to:  Jim Jensen, WSU Energy Program, [email protected], or Tonia Buell, WSDOT, [email protected]