Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB1467 Compare Versions

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1	1	81R8421 EAH-F
2	2	By: Chisum H.B. No. 1467
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the purchase or lease by state agencies of vehicles
8	8	using alternative fuels.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 2158.003(a), Government Code, is amended
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	(a) A state agency may not purchase or lease a vehicle
13	13	designed or used primarily for the transportation of individuals,
14	14	including a station wagon, that has a wheelbase longer than 113
15	15	inches or that has more than 160 SAE net horsepower. The vehicle
16	16	may have a wheelbase of up to 116 inches or SAE net horsepower of up
17	17	to 280 if the vehicle will be converted so that it uses [is capable
18	18	of using] compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied
19	19	petroleum gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent
20	20	or greater, ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or
21	21	greater, or electricity. This exception to the wheelbase and
22	22	horsepower limitations applies to a state agency regardless of the
23	23	size of the agency's vehicle fleet.
24	24	SECTION 2. Section 2158.004(a), Government Code, is amended
25	25	to read as follows:
26	26	(a) A state agency operating a fleet of more than 15
27	27	vehicles, excluding law enforcement and emergency vehicles, may not
28	28	purchase or lease a motor vehicle unless that vehicle uses [is
29	29	capable of using] compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas,
30	30	liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85
31	31	percent or greater, ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85
32	32	percent or greater, or electricity.
33	33	SECTION 3. Section 2158.005, Government Code, is amended to
34	34	read as follows:
35	35	Sec. 2158.005. PERCENTAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR VEHICLES
36	36	[CAPABLE OF] USING ALTERNATIVE FUELS[; PROGRAM REVIEW]. (a) Not
37	37	later than September 30, 2010 [1, 1996], a state agency that
38	38	operates a fleet of more than 15 motor vehicles, excluding law
39	39	enforcement and emergency vehicles, shall have a fleet consisting
40	40	of vehicles of which at least 50 percent use [are capable of using]
41	41	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
42	42	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
43	43	ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or
44	44	electricity.
45	45	(b) [The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
46	46	shall review the program established by this subchapter by December
47	47	31, 1996. If the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
48	48	determines that the program has been effective in reducing total
49	49	annual emissions from motor vehicles in the area, then after August
50	50	31, 1998, a state agency operating a fleet of more than 15 motor
51	51	vehicles shall have a fleet consisting of vehicles of which at least
52	52	90 percent are capable of using compressed natural gas, liquefied
53	53	natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
54	54	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
55	55	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or electricity.
56	56	[(c) The commission shall support the Texas Natural
57	57	Resource Conservation Commission in collecting reasonable
58	58	information needed to determine the air quality benefits from use
59	59	of compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied
60	60	petroleum gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent
61	61	or greater, ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or
62	62	greater, or electricity at affected agencies.
63	63	[(d)] A state agency in its annual financial report to the
64	64	legislature shall report its progress in achieving the percentage
65	65	requirements of this section by [itemizing]:
66	66	(1) itemizing purchases, leases, and conversions of
67	67	motor vehicles; [and]
68	68	(2) itemizing usage of compressed natural gas,
69	69	liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
70	70	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
71	71	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or electricity;
72	72	and
73	73	(3) describing the availability of compressed natural
74	74	gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
75	75	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
76	76	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or electricity.
77	77	(c) [(e)] A state agency may meet the percentage
78	78	requirements of this section through purchase of new vehicles or
79	79	the conversion of existing vehicles, in accordance with federal and
80	80	state requirements and applicable safety laws.
81	81	(d) [(f)] The comptroller [commission] may reduce a
82	82	percentage specified by this section or waive the requirements of
83	83	this section for a state agency on receipt of certification
84	84	supported by evidence acceptable to the comptroller [commission]
85	85	that:
86	86	(1) the agency's vehicles will be operating primarily
87	87	in an area in which neither the agency nor a supplier has or can
88	88	reasonably be expected to establish adequate refueling for
89	89	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
90	90	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
91	91	ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or
92	92	electricity; or
93	93	(2) the agency is unable to obtain equipment or
94	94	refueling facilities necessary to operate vehicles using
95	95	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
96	96	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
97	97	ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or
98	98	electricity at a projected cost that is reasonably expected to be no
99	99	greater than the net costs of continued use of conventional
100	100	gasoline or diesel fuels, measured over the expected useful life of
101	101	the equipment or facilities supplied.
102	102	SECTION 4. Section 2158.008, Government Code, is amended to
103	103	read as follows:
104	104	Sec. 2158.008. WHEN VEHICLE CONSIDERED TO BE [CAPABLE OF]
105	105	USING ALTERNATIVE FUELS. In this subchapter, a vehicle is
106	106	considered to be [capable of] using compressed natural gas,
107	107	liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
108	108	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
109	109	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or electricity if
110	110	the vehicle uses [is capable of using] those fuels:
111	111	(1) not less than 80 percent of the time the vehicle is
112	112	driven; and
113	113	(2) either in its original equipment engine or in an
114	114	engine that has been converted to use those fuels.
115	115	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.