Report Title:
Motor Vehicles; Alternative Fuels
Description:
Requires the counties to establish and issue a special license plate designating an energy-efficient or alternative fuel vehicle and exempting those vehicles from the motor vehicle registration fee for a period of time; amending the procurement policy for state fleets to require energy-efficient vehicles. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
3173 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to motor vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§286- Energy efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. (a) For the purposes of this section, an "energy-efficient vehicle" means a new or used vehicle, of less than 8500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, which is on the list of "Most Energy Efficient Vehicles" in its class, as shown by vehicle fuel efficiency lists, rankings, or reports maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. An "alternative fuel vehicle" is a vehicle capable of operating on an alternative fuel, as such is described in 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490.
(b) The counties shall establish and issue a special license plate, in accordance with section 249-9, to designate that the vehicle to which the license plate is affixed is an energy-efficient vehicle or alternative fuel vehicle.
(c) A vehicle on which an energy-efficient or alternative fuel license plate is affixed shall be exempt from the motor vehicle registration fee for a period of five years from the effective date of this Act."
SECTION 2. Section 103D-412, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[[]§103D-412[]] [Highly energy-efficient] Energy-efficient vehicles. (a) The procurement policy for all agencies purchasing or leasing motor [fleets] vehicles shall be to obtain [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles. [Beginning January 1, 2006, all state agencies] All covered fleets are directed to procure increasing percentages of [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles as part of their annual vehicle acquisition plans, which shall be as follows:
(1) [By January 1, 2007,] In the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, at least twenty per cent of newly purchased light-duty vehicles acquired by each [agency] covered fleet shall be [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles;
(2) [By January 1, 2009,] In the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, at least thirty per cent of newly purchased light-duty vehicles acquired by each covered fleet shall be energy-efficient vehicles;
(3) In the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, at least forty per cent of newly purchased light-duty vehicles acquired by each [agency] covered fleet shall be [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles; and
[(3)] (4) For each subsequent fiscal year [subsequent to January 1, 2009], the percentage of [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles newly purchased shall be five percentage points higher than the previous year, until at least [sixty] seventy-five per cent of each [agency’s] covered fleet's newly purchased, light-duty vehicles are [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles.
(b) For purposes of this section:
"Agency" means a state agency, office, or department.
"Alternative fuel" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490.
"Covered fleet" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490 subpart C.
["Alternative fuel] "Energy-efficient vehicle" means a vehicle that:
(1) Is capable of using an alternative fuel;
(2) Is powered primarily through the use of an electric battery or battery pack that stores energy produced by an electric motor through regenerative braking to assist in vehicle operation;
[(2)] (3) Is propelled by power derived from one or more cells converting chemical energy directly into electricity by combining oxygen with hydrogen fuel that is stored on board the vehicle in any form; [or]
[(3)] (4) Draws propulsion energy from onboard sources of stored energy generated from an internal combustion or heat engine using combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system[.]; or
(5) Is on the list of "Most Energy Efficient Vehicles" in its class, or is in the top one-fifth of the most energy-efficient vehicles in its class available in Hawaii, as shown by vehicle fuel efficiency lists, rankings, or reports maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
"Excluded vehicles" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490.
"Light duty vehicle" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490.
(c) Agencies may offset the purchase requirements for [alternative fuel] energy-efficient vehicles by successfully demonstrating percentage improvements in overall light-duty vehicle fleet mileage economy. The offsets shall be measured against the fleet average [mileage economy] miles per gallon of petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel, using [calendar year 2004] the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, as a baseline, on a percentage-by-percentage basis.
(d) Agencies which use biodiesel fuel may offset the vehicle purchase requirements of this section at the rate of one vehicle for each four hundred fifty gallons of neat biodiesel fuel used. Neat biodiesel fuel is one hundred per cent biodiesel (B100) by volume.
(e) Agencies may apply to the procurement officer for exemptions from the requirements of this section to the extent that the vehicles required by this section are not available or do not meet the specific needs of the agency.
(f) Vehicles acquired from another state agency, and excluded vehicles, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.
(g) Nothing in this section is intended to interfere with an agency's ability to comply with federally-imposed vehicle purchase mandates such as those required by 10 Code of Federal Regulations part 490 subpart C."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, to assist the counties in implementing section 1 of this Act:
City and county of Honolulu $
County of Kauai $
County of Maui $
County of Hawaii $
Total $
SECTION 4. The sums appropriated shall constitute the State's share of the cost of mandated programs under Article VIII, section 5, of the State Constitution.
SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.