Amended in Assembly March 29, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2564

Introduced by Assembly Member Cooper

February 19, 2016

An act begin insert to amend Section 44258.4 of the Health and Safety Code, end insert relating to begin insert vehicular end insert air pollution.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2564, as amended, Cooper. Clean Vehicle Rebate begin delete Project. end delete begin insert Project: income eligibility. end insert

Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program that is administered by the State Air Resources Board for the purposes of funding projects related to, among other things, the reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Pursuant to its existing statutory authority, the state board has established the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, as a part of the Air Quality Improvement Program, to promote the production and use of zero-emission vehicles by providing rebates for the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles.

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This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish income eligibility requirements for clean vehicle rebates under the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

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The Charge Ahead California Initiative requires the state board to adopt, no later than June 30, 2015, revisions to the criteria and other requirements for the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project to, among other things, limit eligibility based on income.

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This bill would, for all eligible vehicle types except fuel cell electric vehicles, establish the maximum gross annual income at unspecified levels for a person to be eligible for a rebate under the project.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert Section 44258.4 of the end insert begin insert Health and Safety Code end insert

begin insert is amended to read: end insert

44258.4.  

(a) Any moneys utilized by this act from the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, established pursuant to Section
16428.8 of the Government Code, shall be consistent with the
appropriations processes and criteria established by the Greenhouse
Gas Reduction Fund Investment Plan and Communities
Revitalization Act (Chapter 4.1 (commencing with Section 39710)
of Part 2).

(b) The Charge Ahead California Initiative is hereby established
and shall be administered by the state board. The goals of this
initiative are to place in service at least 1,000,000 zero-emission
and near-zero-emission vehicles by January 1, 2023, to establish
a self-sustaining California market for zero-emission and
near-zero-emission vehicles in which zero-emission and
near-zero-emission vehicles are a viable mainstream option for
individual vehicle purchasers, businesses, and public fleets, to
increase access for disadvantaged, low-income, and
moderate-income communities and consumers to zero-emission
and near-zero-emission vehicles, and to increase the placement of
those vehicles in those communities and with those consumers to
enhance the air quality, lower greenhouse gases, and promote
overall benefits for those communities and consumers.

(c) The state board, in consultation with the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, districts,
and the public, shall do all of the following:

(1) (A) Include, commencing with the Air Quality Improvement
Program funding plan for the 2016-17 fiscal year, a funding plan
that includes the immediate fiscal year and a forecast of estimated
funding needs for the subsequent two fiscal years commensurate
with meeting the goals of this chapter. Funding needs may be
described as a range that identifies the projected high and low
funding levels needed for the two-year forecast period to contribute
to technology advancement, market readiness, and consumer
acceptance of zero- and near-zero-emission vehicle technologies.
The funding plan shall include a market and technology assessment
for each funded zero- and near-zero-emission vehicle technology
to inform the appropriate funding level, incentive type, and
incentive amount. The forecast shall include an assessment of
when a self-sustaining market is expected and how existing
incentives may be modified to recognize expected changes in future
market conditions.

(B) Projects included in the forecast may include, but are not
limited to, any of the following:

(i) The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, established pursuant to
Section 44274.

(ii) Light-duty zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicle
deployment projects eligible under the Alternative and Renewable
Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, established pursuant to
Article 2 (commencing with Section 44272) of Chapter 8.9.

(iii) Programs adopted pursuant to paragraph (4).

(2) Update the plan required pursuant to paragraph (1) at least
every three years through January 1, 2023.

(3) No later than June 30, 2015, adopt revisions to the criteria
and other requirements for the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project,
established pursuant to Section 44274, to ensure the following:

(A) Rebate levels can be phased down in increments based on
cumulative sales levels as determined by the state board.

(B)  begin insert (i) end insert begin insert   end insert Eligibility is limited based on income.

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(ii) For all eligible vehicle types except fuel cell electric vehicles,
the gross annual income, as reported on Line 22 of the Internal
Revenue Service Form 1040, Line 15 of the Internal Revenue
Service Form 1040A, or Line 4 of the Internal Revenue Service
Form 1040EZ, for a person to be eligible for a rebate under the
project shall not exceed the following:

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(I) ____ dollars ($____) for single filers.

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(II) ____ dollars ($____) for head-of-household filers.

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(III) ____ dollars ($____) of joint filers.

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(C) Consideration of the conversion to prequalification and
point-of-sale rebates or other methods to increase participation
rates.

(4) (A) Establish programs that further increase access to and
direct benefits for disadvantaged, low-income, and
moderate-income communities and consumers from electric
transportation, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

(i) Financing mechanisms, including, but not limited to, a loan
or loan-loss reserve credit enhancement program to increase
consumer access to zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicle
financing and leasing options that can help lower expenditures on
transportation and prequalification or point-of-sale rebates or other
methods to increase participation rates among low- and
moderate-income consumers.

(ii) Car sharing programs that serve disadvantaged communities
and utilize zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles.

(iii) Deployment of charging infrastructure in multiunit
dwellings in disadvantaged communities to remove barriers to
zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicle adoption by those
who do not live in detached homes. This clause does not preclude
the Public Utilities Commission from acting within the scope of
its jurisdiction.

(iv) Additional incentives for zero-emission, near-zero-emission,
or high-efficiency replacement vehicles or a mobility option
available to participants in the enhanced fleet modernization
program, established pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with
Section 44125) of Chapter 5.

(B) Programs implemented pursuant to this paragraph shall
provide adequate outreach to disadvantaged, low-income, and
moderate-income communities and consumers, including partnering
with community-based organizations.

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SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation to establish income eligibility requirements for clean
vehicle rebates under the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

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