Senate panel debates payment requirements for EV chargers and accepts conservation group’s proposal to route grant reporting to network providers

Committee members on April 16 examined draft language about real-time charging-station information and what payment methods charging stations must accept. Damian Leonard noted proposed language that payment methods accepted at a charging station could include credit, debit or contactless forms of payment; members debated whether the statute should require specific forms or simply require availability and how to reconcile that with federal NEVI rules.

Members observed that current state statute requires taking multiple forms of payment but offers little enforcement. Several committee members said adopting NEVI-consistent language would likely be sufficient for many NEVI-funded chargers, but that imposing a new, strict state requirement could create practical difficulties for sites not yet built to those standards; the committee asked legislative staff to do further research on EBT and enforcement.

On how charging-network providers should be notified about grant-funded stations, the committee discussed a stakeholder request. An American Conservation Law Foundation representative recommended shifting the reporting burden from the state agency to grant recipients, saying the grantor should "require the recipient to notify the relevant charging network provider" that they received public funds so network providers know the applicability of regulatory provisions. The committee accepted that approach and directed staff to make the adjustments in the draft.

Committee members also discussed a change to allow unit owners in common-interest communities to use DMV-provided charging for non-commercial purposes, and they agreed to refine payment-language phrasing in the next draft. The committee asked for additional research over the summer on payment-method standards and enforcement.