Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3835 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R13375 DDT-D
2	2	By: Isaac H.B. No. 3835
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the use of certain alternative fuels by state agency
8	8	motor vehicles.
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 compressed
18	18	natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas,
19	19	methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
20	20	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
21	21	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater,] or
22	22	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
23	23	vehicle. This exception to the wheelbase and horsepower limitations
24	24	applies to a state agency regardless of the size of the agency's
25	25	vehicle fleet.
26	26	SECTION 2. Sections 2158.004(a), (b), (c), and (d),
27	27	Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
28	28	(a) A state agency operating a fleet of more than 15
29	29	vehicles, excluding law enforcement and emergency vehicles, may not
30	30	purchase or lease a motor vehicle unless that vehicle uses
31	31	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
32	32	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
33	33	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,]
34	34	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or
35	35	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
36	36	vehicle.
37	37	(b) A state agency may obtain equipment or refueling
38	38	facilities necessary to operate vehicles using compressed natural
39	39	gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
40	40	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, [ethanol or
41	41	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,] biodiesel or
42	42	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or electricity,
43	43	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle:
44	44	(1) by purchase or lease as authorized by law;
45	45	(2) by gift or loan of the equipment or facilities; or
46	46	(3) by gift or loan of the equipment or facilities or
47	47	by another arrangement under a service contract for the supply of
48	48	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
49	49	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
50	50	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,]
51	51	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or
52	52	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
53	53	vehicle.
54	54	(c) If the equipment or facilities are donated, loaned, or
55	55	provided through another arrangement with the supplier of
56	56	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
57	57	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
58	58	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,]
59	59	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or
60	60	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
61	61	vehicle, the supplier is entitled to recoup its actual cost of
62	62	donating, loaning, or providing the equipment or facilities through
63	63	its fuel charges under the supply contract.
64	64	(d) The commission may waive the requirements of this
65	65	section for a state agency on receipt of certification supported by
66	66	evidence acceptable to the commission that:
67	67	(1) the agency's vehicles will be operating primarily
68	68	in an area in which neither the agency nor a supplier has or can
69	69	reasonably be expected to establish adequate refueling for
70	70	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
71	71	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
72	72	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,]
73	73	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or
74	74	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
75	75	vehicle; or
76	76	(2) the agency is unable to obtain equipment or
77	77	refueling facilities necessary to operate vehicles using
78	78	compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum
79	79	gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
80	80	[ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,]
81	81	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or
82	82	electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor
83	83	vehicle, at a projected cost that is reasonably expected to be no
84	84	greater than the net costs of continued use of conventional
85	85	gasoline or diesel fuels, measured over the expected useful life of
86	86	the equipment or facilities supplied.
87	87	SECTION 3. Sections 2158.005(a), (b), and (c), Government
88	88	Code, are amended to read as follows:
89	89	(a) Not later than September 30, 2025 [2010], a state agency
90	90	that operates a fleet of more than 15 motor vehicles, excluding law
91	91	enforcement and emergency vehicles, shall have a fleet consisting
92	92	of vehicles of which at least 50 percent use compressed natural gas,
93	93	liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, [methanol or
94	94	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
95	95	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, biodiesel or
96	96	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater,] or electricity,
97	97	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle.
98	98	(b) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall
99	99	collect reasonable information needed to determine the air quality
100	100	benefits from use of compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas,
101	101	liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85
102	102	percent or greater, [ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85
103	103	percent or greater,] biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20
104	104	percent or greater, or electricity, including electricity to power
105	105	a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle, at affected agencies.
106	106	(c) A state agency in its annual financial report to the
107	107	legislature shall report its progress in achieving the percentage
108	108	requirements of this section by:
109	109	(1) itemizing purchases, leases, and conversions of
110	110	motor vehicles;
111	111	(2) itemizing usage of compressed natural gas,
112	112	liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
113	113	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, [ethanol or
114	114	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, biodiesel or
115	115	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater,] or electricity,
116	116	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle; and
117	117	(3) describing the availability of compressed natural
118	118	gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
119	119	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, [ethanol or
120	120	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,] biodiesel or
121	121	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or electricity,
122	122	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle[; and
123	123	[(4) providing the information reasonably needed to
124	124	determine the air quality benefits from use of compressed natural
125	125	gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
126	126	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, ethanol or
127	127	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, biodiesel or
128	128	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or electricity,
129	129	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle].
130	130	SECTION 4. Section 2158.006, Government Code, is amended to
131	131	read as follows:
132	132	Sec. 2158.006. DETERMINATION OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS PROGRAM
133	133	PARAMETERS. In developing the use of compressed natural gas,
134	134	liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or
135	135	methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, [ethanol or
136	136	ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,] biodiesel or
137	137	biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater, or electricity,
138	138	including electricity to power a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle, the
139	139	commission should work with state agency fleet operators, vehicle
140	140	manufacturers and converters, fuel distributors, and others to
141	141	determine the vehicles to be covered, taking into consideration:
142	142	(1) range;
143	143	(2) specialty uses;
144	144	(3) fuel availability;
145	145	(4) vehicle manufacturing and conversion capability;
146	146	(5) safety;
147	147	(6) resale values; and
148	148	(7) other relevant factors.
149	149	SECTION 5. Section 2158.007, Government Code, is amended to
150	150	read as follows:
151	151	Sec. 2158.007. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE SAFETY
152	152	STANDARDS. In purchasing, leasing, maintaining, or converting
153	153	vehicles for use with compressed natural gas, liquefied natural
154	154	gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol or methanol/gasoline blends
155	155	of 85 percent or greater, [ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85
156	156	percent or greater,] biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20
157	157	percent or greater, or electricity, including electricity to power
158	158	a plug-in hybrid motor vehicle, the commission shall comply with
159	159	all applicable safety standards adopted by the United States
160	160	Department of Transportation and the Railroad Commission of Texas.
161	161	SECTION 6. Section 2158.008, Government Code, is amended to
162	162	read as follows:
163	163	Sec. 2158.008. WHEN VEHICLE CONSIDERED TO BE USING
164	164	ALTERNATIVE FUELS. In this subchapter, a vehicle is considered to
165	165	be using compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied
166	166	petroleum gas, [methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent
167	167	or greater, ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or
168	168	greater, biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or
169	169	greater,] or electricity, including electricity to power a plug-in
170	170	hybrid motor vehicle, if the vehicle uses those fuels:
171	171	(1) not less than 80 percent of the time the vehicle is
172	172	driven; and
173	173	(2) either in its original equipment engine or in an
174	174	engine that has been converted to use those fuels.
175	175	SECTION 7. Subchapter A, Chapter 2158, Government Code, is
176	176	amended by adding Section 2158.010 to read as follows:
177	177	Sec. 2158.010. PURCHASE OR LEASE OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
178	178	PROHIBITED. A state agency may not purchase or lease a vehicle that
179	179	uses ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater.
180	180	SECTION 8. Section 2171.103, Government Code, is amended by
181	181	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
182	182	(c) In this section, "alternative fuel" does not include
183	183	methanol or methanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater,
184	184	ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater, or
185	185	biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends of 20 percent or greater.
186	186	SECTION 9. Section 2158.005(e), Government Code, is
187	187	repealed.
188	188	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.