Report Title:

State Vehicles; Fuel Economy

 

Description:

Requires all procurement agencies to purchase or lease light duty motor vehicles with reduced dependence on petroleum-based fuels.  (SD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

552

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO ENERGY-EFFICIENT VEHICLES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 103D-412, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§103D-412  [Energy-efficient vehicles; light] Light duty motor vehicle requirements.  (a)  The procurement policy for all agencies purchasing or leasing light duty motor vehicles shall be to [obtain energy-efficient vehicles.  All covered fleets are directed to procure increasing percentages of energy-efficient vehicles as part of their annual vehicle acquisition plans, which shall be as follows:

     (1)  In the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, at least twenty per cent of newly purchased light-duty vehicles acquired by each covered fleet shall be energy-efficient vehicles;

     (2)  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 covered fleet shall be energy-efficient vehicles; and

     (4)  For each subsequent fiscal year, the percentage of energy-efficient vehicles newly purchased shall be five percentage points higher than the previous year, until at least seventy-five per cent of each covered fleet's newly purchased, light-duty vehicles are energy-efficient vehicles.]

reduce dependence on petroleum for transportation energy.

     (b)  Beginning January 1, 2010, all state and county entities, when purchasing or leasing new vehicles, shall select vehicles having reduced dependence on petroleum-based fuels; provided that the vehicles meet the needs of the agency.  Priority for selecting vehicles shall be as follows in descending order of priority:

     (1)  Electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;

     (2)  Hydrogen or fuel cell vehicles;

     (3)  Other alternative fuel vehicles;

     (4)  Hybrid electric vehicles; or

     (5)  Vehicles identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in its annual "Fuel Economy Leaders" report as being among the top performers for fuel economy in the class.

     [(b)] (c)  For the 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.] means alcohol fuels; mixtures containing eighty-five per cent or more by volume of alcohols with gasoline or other fuels; natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas; hydrogen; biodiesel; mixtures containing twenty per cent or more by volume of biodiesel with diesel or other fuels; other fuels derived from biological materials; and electricity provided by off-board energy sources.

     "Covered fleet" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 490 Subpart C.

     ["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;

     (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;

     (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 provided in 10 Code of Federal Regulations Section 490.3.

     ["Light-duty vehicle"] "Light duty motor vehicle" has the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 490[.], not including any vehicle incapable of traveling on highways or any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds.

     [(c)  Agencies may offset energy-efficient vehicle purchase requirements by successfully demonstrating percentage improvements in overall light-duty vehicle fleet mileage economy.  The offsets shall be measured against the fleet average miles per gallon of petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel, using the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, as a baseline, on a percentage-by-percentage basis.

     (d)   Agencies that 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)] (d)  Agencies may apply to the chief 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[.]; provided that life cycle vehicle and fuel costs may be included in the determination of whether a particular vehicle meets the needs of the agency.  Estimates of future fuel prices shall be based on projections from the United States Energy Information Administration.

     [(f)] (e)  Vehicles acquired from another state agency and excluded vehicles are exempt from the requirements of this section.

     [(g)] (f)  Nothing in this section is intended to interfere with [an agency's] the ability of a covered fleet to comply with [federally-imposed] the vehicle purchase mandates [such as those] required by 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 490 Subpart C."

SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.