2023 -- S 0988
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LC002916
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- PARKING FACILITIES AND
PRIVILEGES
Introduced By: Senators Lombardo, Ruggerio, Pearson, DiPalma, Zurier, Acosta, Gu,
Britto, F. Lombardi, and DiMario
Date Introduced: May 15, 2023
Referred To: Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 31-28 of the General Laws entitled "Parking Facilities and 1
Privileges" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: 2
31-28-11. Installation of electric vehicle charging stations -- Definitions. 3
As used in this section and § 31-28-12, the following words shall have the following 4
meaning: 5
(1) "Commercial" includes, but is not limited to, any parking lot servicing box stores, 6
grocery markets, strip malls, shopping malls, shopping centers, and hotels or motels. 7
(2) "Electric vehicle charging station" (EVCS) means a public parking space that is served 8
by either "EV capable" or "EV ready" charging equipment. 9
(3) "EV capable" means designated parking spaces that have electrical panel capacity and 10
space to support a minimum 40-ampere, 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit for each EV parking 11
space, and the installation of raceways (enclosed conduit that forms a physical pathway for 12
electrical wiring), both underground and surface mounted, to support electric vehicle supply 13
equipment (EVSE). 14
(4) "EV ready" means a designated parking space with one 40-ampere, 208/240-volt 15
dedicated branch circuit for EVSE servicing electric vehicles. The circuit shall terminate in a 16
suitable termination point such as a receptacle, junction box, or an EVSE, and be located in close 17
proximity to the proposed location of the EV parking spaces. 18
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(5) "EVSE-installed" means EV supply equipment (EVSE) that is fully installed from the 1
electrical panel to the parking space. 2
(6) "Housing" means any new, existing, or rehabilitated private housing developments with 3
more than twenty (20) units, that provide residential or public parking. 4
(7) "Large employer" means any employer, with over one hundred (100) employees located 5
in a single complex, that owns and operates a parking lot for employee use. 6
(8) "Municipal" means any parking lot servicing a municipal building, including, but not 7
limited to, schools, public safety facilities, town or city hall, library, public administration offices, 8
and recreational facilities. 9
31-28-12. Installation of electric vehicles charging stations -- Designated parking 10
spaces. 11
(a) All new parking lots and existing lots that undergo an expansion of the number of 12
parking spaces by fifty percent (50%) or more, shall create designated parking spaces for electric 13
vehicles. 14
(b) Each electric vehicle parking space shall have either an EV-ready, EV-capable, or 15
EVSE-installed public level 2, or DC fast charger, or a dual port charger to be shared by two (2) 16
parking spaces. 17
(c) Projects awarded or under development prior to January 1, 2024, are exempt from the 18
requirements of this section. Beginning January 1, 2024, the installation of electric vehicle charging 19
stations and the designation of parking spaces shall be required when there is: 20
(1) Construction of a parking lot for a new building or new off-street parking facility; 21
(2) An additional parking lot added to an addition for an existing building; or 22
(3) A parking lot increased in size to add fifty percent (50%) or more parking spaces. 23
(d) Projects after January 1, 2024 requiring one or more EV spaces in accordance with the 24
provisions of subsection (e) of this section shall install a minimum of one EVSE-installed parking 25
space. 26
(e) Commercial, municipal, large employer, and housing parking lots shall designate 27
electric vehicle parking spaces based on the number of parking spaces provided in accordance with 28
the table below. Calculations for the required number of EV spaces shall be rounded up to the 29
nearest whole number. 30
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES NUMBER OF REQUIRED EV SPACES 31
0-5 …………………………………………………………………………………0 32
6-10 ……………………………………………………………………………...... 1 33
11-25 ……………………………………………………………………………… 2 34
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26-45 ……………………………………………………………………………… 3 1
46-65 ……………………………………………………………………………… 4 2
66-85 ……………………………………………………………………………… 5 3
86-105 …………………………………………………………………………….. 6 4
106-150 …………………………………………………………………………… 7 5
151-200 ………………………………………………………………………….. 10 6
201 and over ……………………………………………… six percent (6%) of total 7
(f) Electric vehicle restrictions and violations shall be enforced pursuant to the provisions 8
of §§ 31-21-18 and 31-41.1-4 relating to the fine imposed for electric vehicle charging station 9
restrictions. 10
(g) The owner of any facility or business which fails to comply with the provisions of this 11
section shall be subject to a penalty set and enforced by the local or state authorities on public or 12
private property when the location of the parking spaces is within the purview of the state building 13
code, chapter 27.3 of title 23. 14
(h) The office of energy resources shall provide recommendations to improve electric 15
vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved communities. In the development of these 16
recommendations, the office of energy resources may request and be furnished with information 17
from municipalities, an electric distribution company, the Rhode Island department of 18
transportation, community boards and nonprofits representing municipal interests. The office of 19
energy resources shall develop these recommendations by January 31, 2024. 20
(i) Municipalities shall provide the office of energy resources with semiannual reports on 21
the number of installed public charging stations, location of the charging stations, and total number 22
of charging stations in the community. The office of energy resources shall make this information 23
available to the public on the agency's website. 24
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023. 25
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LC002916
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- PARKING FACILITIES AND
PRIVILEGES
***
This act would require, beginning January 1, 2024, that new parking lots and existing 1
parking lots undergoing an expansion of fifty percent (50%) or more of the parking spaces to create 2
designated electric vehicle parking spaces. The number of required electric vehicle parking spaces 3
is based on the total number of parking spaces. 4
This act would take effect on July 1, 2023. 5
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LC002916
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