House Passes Bill to Provide Electronic Vehicle Infrastructure

What is up with Sean Matthews? The House passed a bill that would require newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings include infrastructure for charging electric vehicles. Sean voted no with all his fellow Republicans. First, he believes corporations are people and can vote, and now he is against electric vehicles. Just change parties and be done with it, Sean!

Senate Bill 103S, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith and Sen. Sarah McBride, would position the state for 2040, when researchers predict electric vehicle sales will outnumber those of traditional, combustion engine vehicles. The bill would:

• Require that newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings include certain electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
• Provide county and municipal government enforcement of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements.
• Apply to the construction of a multi-family residential dwelling for which an application for final site plan approval is submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
• Clarify that if the single-family residential dwelling does not have an attached or detached garage, an electric vehicle capable parking space must be provided in the driveway, assigned parking space for the dwelling, or at an unassigned non-street residential parking space constructed as part of the project.

SENATE BILL 103S – REQUIRING NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION HAVE ELECTRIC VEHCILE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE	Currrent Status – Senate Passed 15-5-1. House Passed 23-17-1. Sent to the Governor.
House Sponsors – Griffith, Phillips, Baumbach, Morrison	Senate Sponsors – McBride, Hansen, Huxtable, Poore, Sokola, Walsh
House Yes Votes – Baumbach Bolden Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Harris Johnson Lambert Longhurst Lynn Minor-Brown Moore Morrison Neal Osienski Parker-Selby Phillips Romer Schwartzkopf Williams Wilson-Anton	Senate Yes Votes – Brown Gay Hansen Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Paradee Pinkney Poore Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh
House No Votes – Briggs King Collins Dukes Gray Hensley Hilovsky Morris Postles Ramone Short Shupe Smith Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick // Matthews	Senate No Votes – Buckson, Hocker, Pettyjohn, Richardson, Wilson
House Absents or Not Voting – Heffernan	Senate Absent or Not Voting – Lawson

“Major vehicle manufacturers are pledging to go all electric and we need to take the step to ensure that we’ve got the appropriate electrical charging infrastructure in place,” said Rep. Griffith, D-Fairfax. “As with anything, installation is more cost effective during initial construction than the alternatives of retrofitting after the fact. This bill will make it easier and more convenient to own an electric vehicle for all Delawareans in the years to come.

“When we can be proactive and make it easier and more appealing for people to own electric vehicles, we should,” Rep. Griffith added. “We’re also promoting cleaner air and water, resulting in improved health outcomes for everyone as we’re able to reduce the amount of carbon emissions.”

“The 152nd General Assembly has demonstrated a strong commitment to passing bold environmental legislation. Senate Bill 103 builds on our efforts to transition Delaware to a more energy-efficient state by making it easier for consumers to purchase and maintain an electric vehicle by ensuring that all new home and apartment building in our state is ready for EV charging,” said Sen. McBride, D-Wilmington. “I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for passing this legislation and look forward to the Governor signing it into law.”