H1049: Equitable Free Vehicle Fuel Stations. Latest Version

2021-2022

House
Passed 1st Reading



AN ACT providing that businesses that provide electric vehicle charging stations to the public at no charge shall include on their receipts the pro rata share paid by each customer for the free electricity and prohibiting the use of public funds to provide or fund electric vehicle charging stations on publicly owned or leased property unless gasoline and diesel fuel for motor vehicles is provided to the public at no charge.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 75 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read as follows:

§ 75‑44.  Disclosure of cost of electric vehicle charging stations.

Any person who is engaged in a business where electric vehicle charging stations are provided for use by the public at no charge shall ensure that each customer of the business, without regard to whether the customer uses the charging stations, is informed of, on the receipt for purchases, the percentage of the amount of the customer's total purchase price that is a result of the business providing electric vehicle charging stations at no charge.

SECTION 2.  Article 2 of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read as follows:

§ 136‑18.02A.  Electric vehicle charging stations on State‑owned property.

Except as provided in G.S. 136‑18.02, the Department of Transportation shall not use public funds to provide electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by the State or to fund or install electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by a person or entity unless the Department or the person or entity provides gasoline and diesel fuel for motor vehicles through a pump to the public at no charge.

SECTION 3.  Article 23 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read as follows:

§ 153A‑460.  Electric vehicle charging stations.

A county shall not use public funds to provide electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by the county or to fund or install electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by a person or entity unless the county or the person or entity provides gasoline or diesel fuel for motor vehicles through a pump to the public at no charge.

SECTION 4.  Article 21 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read as follows:

§ 160A‑499.5.  Electric vehicle charging stations.

A city shall not use public funds to provide electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by the city or to fund or install electric vehicle charging stations on property owned or leased by a person or entity unless the city or the person or entity provides gasoline or diesel fuel for motor vehicles through a pump to the public at no charge.

SECTION 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Transportation the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year for the purpose of removing any electric vehicle charging stations that do not comply with the provisions of this act. The Department of Transportation shall develop a process for the administration and distribution of these funds.

SECTION 6.  Section 5 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2022. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.