2024 -- S 2595 | |
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LC005132 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- MOTOR VEHICLES OWNED | |
BY A GOVERNMENTAL BODY | |
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Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Euer, Cano, Valverde, and Miller | |
Date Introduced: March 01, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 42-11.3-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11.3 entitled "Motor |
2 | Vehicles Owned by a Governmental Body" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 42-11.3-1. Definitions. |
4 | As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings unless otherwise |
5 | specified: |
6 | (1) “General officer” means the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, |
7 | the secretary of state, and the general treasurer. |
8 | (2)(i) “Governmental body” means any department, commission, council, board, bureau, |
9 | committee, institution, legislative body, agency, government corporation, including, without |
10 | limitation, the council on postsecondary education and council on elementary and secondary |
11 | education or other establishment of the executive, legislative or judicial branch of the state. |
12 | (ii) “Governmental body” also means the Rhode Island industrial recreational building |
13 | authority, the Rhode Island commerce corporation, the Rhode Island industrial facilities |
14 | corporation, the Rhode Island refunding bond authority, the Rhode Island housing and mortgage |
15 | finance corporation, the Rhode Island solid waste management corporation, the Rhode Island |
16 | public transit authority, the Rhode Island student loan authority, the Howard development |
17 | corporation, the water resources board, the Rhode Island health and education building corporation, |
18 | the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority, the Blackstone Valley district commission, the |
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1 | Narragansett Bay water quality management district commission, Rhode Island |
2 | telecommunications authority, the convention center authority, channel 36 foundation, their |
3 | successors and assigns, and any other body corporate and politic which has been here before or |
4 | which is hereinafter created or established within this state excepting cities and towns. |
5 | (3) “Own” means control and the intent to control and includes any type of arrangement, |
6 | including by way of illustration, and not by limitation, a lease arrangement, whereby an employee |
7 | of a governmental body is supplied principal or exclusive use of a motor vehicle by his or her |
8 | employer. |
9 | (4) “Law enforcement officer” means an individual: (i) who is employed on a full-time |
10 | basis by a governmental body that is responsible for the prevention or investigation of crime |
11 | involving injury to persons or property (including the apprehension or detention of persons for such |
12 | crimes); (ii) who is authorized by law to carry firearms, execute search warrants, and to make arrests |
13 | (other than merely a citizen’s arrest); and (iii) who regularly carries firearms (except when it is not |
14 | possible to do so because of the requirements of undercover work). The term law enforcement |
15 | officer shall include an arson investigator if the investigator otherwise meets these requirements. |
16 | (5) “Commuting” means driving a motor vehicle owned by a governmental body to and |
17 | from the work place and the employee’s residence. |
18 | (6) “Employee” means an individual who works for a governmental body not less than |
19 | thirty-five (35) hours a week. |
20 | (7) "Zero-emission vehicle" means a vehicle which produces no emissions from the on- |
21 | board source of power. |
22 | (8) "Alternative-fueled vehicle" means a vehicle that can have a combination of a small |
23 | combustion engine, electric motors, and battery packs, or is powered by hydrogen fuel-cells. |
24 | SECTION 2. Chapter 42-11.3 of the General Laws entitled "Motor Vehicles Owned by a |
25 | Governmental Body" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
26 | 42-11.3-7. Waivers for vehicle replacement. |
27 | (a) A governmental body shall begin the replacement of all gasoline-powered vehicles with |
28 | a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) when it is deemed that a vehicle has reached its end of service life. |
29 | For any additional new fleet vehicles leased or purchased, the governmental body shall procure |
30 | zero-emission vehicles. |
31 | (b) If a gasoline-powered vehicle cannot be replaced with a zero-emission vehicle due to |
32 | limited supply or inadequate replacement, the governmental body may be granted a waiver for |
33 | purchasing an alternative vehicle. If a waiver is granted, the governmental body shall lease or |
34 | purchase an alternative-fueled vehicle until a time when a zero-emission vehicle is available. |
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1 | (c) No governmental body shall be granted more than three (3) waivers in a calendar year |
2 | unless they prove there are no zero-emission vehicles available for adequate replacement of |
3 | gasoline-powered vehicles. |
4 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2025 |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- MOTOR VEHICLES OWNED | |
BY A GOVERNMENTAL BODY | |
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1 | This act would require that any government owned vehicle that is to be replaced, be |
2 | replaced with a zero-emission vehicle, defined as a vehicle which produces no emissions from the |
3 | on-board source of power. |
4 | This act would take effect on January 1, 2025. |
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