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Senate Bill 20 |
Senate Author: Williams et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-11 |
House Sponsor: Strama et al. |
Senate Bill 20 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to establish and administer the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program to encourage an entity that has a heavy-duty or medium-duty motor vehicle to repower the vehicle with a natural gas engine or replace the vehicle with a natural gas vehicle. The program provides grants to eligible vehicles to offset the incremental cost to the entity of repowering or replacing a vehicle. The bill sets out provisions relating to vehicles that are qualified to be considered for a grant, the application and eligibility requirements for a grant, the calculation of the amount of a grant, restrictions on a grant's use, procedures for administering the grants, and requirements for participating dealers of certain natural gas vehicles. Senate Bill 20 requires TCEQ to award grants to support the development of a network of natural gas vehicle fueling stations along the interstate highways connecting Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth and sets out the conditions for awarding such grants. The provisions relating to the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program expire August 31, 2017.
Senate Bill 20 requires TCEQ to establish and administer the Texas alternative fueling facilities program to provide fueling facilities for alternative fuel in nonattainment areas and to provide grants for eligible facilities to offset the cost of those facilities. An entity that constructs, reconstructs, or acquires an alternative fueling facility is eligible to participate in the program. The bill sets out provisions relating to the grant application, criteria for prioritizing eligible facilities, the calculation of the amount of a grant, and restrictions on the use of a grant. The provisions relating to the Texas alternative fueling facilities program expire August 31, 2018.
Current law requires money in the Texas emissions reduction plan fund to be used only to implement and administer a program established under the plan and sets out specified allocations. Senate Bill 20 adds allocations related to the new programs described above and sets out conditions under which TCEQ may reallocate money in the fund designated for the Texas alternative fueling facilities program.