Rhode Island 2023 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0030 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/18/2023

                     
 
 
 
2023 -- S 0030 
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LC000567 
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D 
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 
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A N   A C T 
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF 
ADMINISTRATION 
Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Valverde, DiPalma, Euer, Murray, DiMario, and 
Sosnowski 
Date Introduced: January 18, 2023 
Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government 
 
 
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 
SECTION 1. Section 42-11-2.4 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11 entitled "Department 1 
of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 
42-11-2.4. State Fleet Replacement Revolving Loan Fund. 3 
(a) There is hereby created as a separate fund within the treasury to be known as the state 4 
fleet replacement revolving loan fund which shall be administered by the general treasurer in 5 
accordance with the same laws and fiscal procedures as the general funds of the state. This fund, 6 
hereafter referred to as the “revolving loan fund,” shall consist of such sums as the state may from 7 
time to time appropriate, as well as money received from the disposal of used vehicles, loan, interest 8 
and service charge payments from benefiting state agencies, as well as interest earnings, money 9 
received from the federal government, gifts, bequests, donations, or otherwise from any public or 10 
private source. 11 
This fund shall be used for the purpose of acquiring purchasing or leasing motor vehicles, 12 
both new and used, and vehicle-related equipment, and attachments to include electric vehicle 13 
charging stations for state departments and agencies. 14 
(c) The proceeds from the repayment of any loans made for the purposes authorized under 15 
this chapter shall be deposited in and returned to the revolving loan fund in order to constitute a 16 
continuing revolving fund for the purposes listed above. 17 
(d) The office of management and budget in coordination with the office of state fleet 18   
 
 
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operations of the Rhode Island department of administration shall adopt rules and regulations 1 
consistent with the purposes of this chapter and chapter 35 of title 42, in order to provide for the 2 
orderly and equitable disbursement and repayment of funds from the revolving loan fund. 3 
(e) Provided; however, a total of four million two hundred thousand dollars ($4,200,000) 4 
shall be made available as a direct grant from the revolving loan fund for the required twenty 5 
percent (20%) match for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to obtain federal funds to 6 
purchase buses through FY 2017. Any such sums need not be repaid to the revolving loan fund. 7 
(f) As used in this section: 8 
(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in § 31-1-3. 9 
(2) "Light duty vehicle" means vehicles less than eight thousand five hundred pounds 10 
(8,500 lbs) as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. 11 
(3) "Non-emergency vehicle" means every vehicle except authorized emergency vehicles. 12 
(4) "Zero-emission vehicle" means a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric 13 
vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. 14 
(g) Beginning in fiscal year 2024, the department of administration shall be the responsible 15 
state agency with the authority to control and authorize state agency purchases or leases to ensure 16 
compliance with the following percentage of all new light duty, non-emergency vehicles as zero- 17 
emission vehicles in each fiscal year: 18 
(1) Fifteen percent (15%) in fiscal year 2024; 19 
(2) Twenty percent (20%) in fiscal year 2025; 20 
(3) Twenty five percent (25%) in fiscal year 2026; 21 
(4) Thirty percent (30%) in fiscal year 2027; 22 
(5) Thirty five percent (35%) in fiscal year 2028; 23 
(6) Forty percent (40%) in fiscal year 2029; 24 
(7) Forty five percent (45%) in fiscal year 2030; and 25 
(8) Fifty percent (50%) in fiscal year 2031. 26 
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 27 
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EXPLANATION 
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 
OF 
A N   A C T 
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF 
ADMINISTRATION 
***
This act would define light duty, non-emergency, emergency and zero-emission vehicles 1 
and would require the state to annually increase the percentage of zero-emission vehicles in the 2 
state's fleet of new light duty, non-emergency vehicles to finally result in no less than fifty percent 3 
(50%) zero emission vehicles by the year 2031. 4 
This act would take effect upon passage. 5 
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LC000567 
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