[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6178 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6178

   To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National Electric 
    Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 2, 2023

Ms. Brownley (for herself, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr. Cleaver) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
   Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and 
   Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National Electric 
    Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bidirectional Electric Vehicle 
Charging Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING ROADMAP.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall develop a National 
Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap that includes--
            (1) a timeline and strategy for increasing the development 
        and use of bidirectional charging;
            (2) a list of strategies and obstacles to increasing the 
        development and use of bidirectional charging;
            (3) key actions for Congress to consider taking with 
        respect to bidirectional charging matters; and
            (4) cost estimates for increasing the development and use 
        of bidirectional charging, including a cost estimate for such 
        an increase if such an increase were to be done at a pace that 
        is slow, moderate, or fast.
    (b) Publication.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and 
make available to the public, including on the public website of the 
Department of Energy, the National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional 
Charging Roadmap developed under subsection (a).

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENT FOR BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING.

    (a) Regulations.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall issue 
regulations--
            (1) establishing technical standards for manufacturers of 
        electric vehicles to standardize bidirectional charging 
        technology; and
            (2) requiring that all new electric vehicles manufactured 
        beginning in model year 2027 and thereafter be capable of 
        bidirectional charging, including electric vehicles that are 
        light-duty motor vehicles and school buses, except as exempted 
        by the Secretary of Energy, as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (b) Civil Penalties.--
            (1) In general.--A person that violates a regulation issued 
        under this section is liable to the United States Government 
        for a civil penalty of not more than $21,000 for each 
        violation. A separate violation occurs for each electric 
        vehicle or item of electric vehicle equipment and for each 
        failure or refusal to allow or perform an act required by this 
        section and the regulations thereunder. The maximum penalty 
        under this subsection for a related series of violations is 
        $105,000,000.
            (2) Compromise.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of Energy may 
                compromise the amount of a civil penalty imposed under 
                this section.
                    (B) Relevant factors in determining amount of 
                penalty or compromise.--In determining the amount of a 
                civil penalty or compromise under this section, the 
                Secretary of Energy shall consider the nature, 
                circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation. 
                Such determination shall include, as appropriate--
                            (i) the nature of the defect or 
                        noncompliance;
                            (ii) knowledge by the person charged of its 
                        obligations under this section;
                            (iii) the number of electric vehicles or 
                        items of electric vehicle equipment distributed 
                        with the defect or noncompliance;
                            (iv) actions taken by the person charged to 
                        identify, investigate, or mitigate the 
                        condition;
                            (v) the appropriateness of such penalty in 
                        relation to the size of the business of the 
                        person charged, including the potential for 
                        undue adverse economic impacts;
                            (vi) whether the person has been assessed 
                        civil penalties under this section during the 
                        most recent 5 years; and
                            (vii) other appropriate factors.

SEC. 4. DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS.

    The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
issue such regulations as are necessary to require that hazard 
mitigation plans submitted by States or local governments under section 
322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5165) incorporate bidirectional charging capabilities.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Bidirectional charging.--The term ``bidirectional 
        charging'' means, with respect to an electric vehicle, that the 
        electric vehicle can receive energy from electric vehicle 
        supply equipment and provide energy to an external load when it 
        is paired with similarly capable electric vehicle supply 
        equipment.
            (2) Electric vehicle.--The term ``electric vehicle'' means 
        a vehicle designed to operate exclusively on electricity stored 
        in a rechargeable battery, multiple batteries, or battery pack.
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