Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 781 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 SENATE BILL 632
4
5 By: Senators M. Johnson, G. Leding
6 By: Representatives Haak, Brown, D. Ferguson
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CREATE THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE
10 GRANT PROGRAM; TO ESTABLISH THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE
11 INFRASTRUCTURE FUND; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR
12 OTHER PURPOSES.
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14
15 Subtitle
16 TO CREATE THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE
17 INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM; TO
18 ESTABLISH THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE
19 INFRASTRUCTURE FUND; AND TO DECLARE AN
20 EMERGENCY.
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23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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25 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings.
26 The General Assembly finds that:
27 (1) Electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent both
28 throughout the country and in the State of Arkansas;
29 (2) Despite the growing number of electric vehicles, a lack of
30 electric vehicle infrastructure has created an obstacle for consumers,
31 retailers, and manufacturers;
32 (3) The Division of Environmental Quality has recently
33 implemented a program to help expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure
34 throughout Arkansas that is funded by settlement funds from the Volkswagen
35 Diesel Emissions Environmental Mitigation Trust for State Beneficiaries,
36 Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia;
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1 (4) While the division program has worked to expand the electric
2 vehicle infrastructure in Arkansas, the state ranks last in the country for
3 its electric vehicle infrastructure;
4 (5) Recent federal activity indicates that federal funding for
5 electric vehicle infrastructure will be available soon; and
6 (6) Arkansas needs to take steps now to be ready to accept and
7 utilize this federal funding to improve electric vehicle infrastructure
8 throughout the state.
9
10 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 15, Chapter 10, Subchapter 1, is
11 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
12 15-10-101. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program.
13 (a) There is created within the Department of Energy and Environment
14 the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program to be administered by the
15 Secretary of the Department of Energy and Environment.
16 (b) The secretary has exclusive authority to award grants to public or
17 private entities under the program to be used for construction, installation,
18 and associated costs connected with the deployment of Level 2 and Level 3
19 charging facilities.
20
21 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 19, Chapter 5, Subchapter 12, is
22 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
23 19-5-1270. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.
24 (a) There is created on the books of the Treasurer of State, the
25 Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a miscellaneous
26 fund to be known as the "Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund".
27 (b) The fund shall consist of:
28 (1) General revenues authorized by law;
29 (2) Moneys obtained from private grants or other sources that
30 are designated to be credited to the fund; and
31 (3) Any other revenues authorized by law.
32 (c) The fund shall be used by the Secretary of the Department of
33 Energy and Environment as provided in 15-10-101.
34
35 SECTION 4. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
36 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that federal funding for electric
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1 vehicle infrastructure will soon be available to states and that Arkansas
2 needs to be competitive in its ability to obtain and utilize the federal
3 funding as soon as possible; and that establishing an electric vehicle
4 infrastructure program and fund are vital to the state's ability to
5 immediately obtain the federal funding when available to increase the
6 electric vehicle infrastructure in the state, which will have an impact on
7 the state's economy by creating jobs and incentivizing manufacturers and
8 other businesses to increase this industry in Arkansas. Therefore, an
9 emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for
10 the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become
11 effective on:
12 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
13 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
14 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
15 bill; or
16 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
17 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
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20 APPROVED: 4/20/21
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