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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility for grants for natural gas fueling |
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stations under the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 394.005(c), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) As a condition of receiving a grant, the qualifying |
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vehicle must be continuously owned, leased, or otherwise |
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commercially financed and registered and operated in the state by |
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the grant recipient until the earlier of the fourth anniversary of |
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the date of reimbursement of the grant-funded expenses or until the |
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date the vehicle has been in operation for 400,000 miles after the |
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date of reimbursement. Not less than 75 percent of the annual use |
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of the qualifying vehicle, either mileage or fuel use as determined |
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by the commission, must occur in: |
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(1) the counties any part of which are included in the |
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areas [area] described by Section 394.010(a-1) [394.010(a)]; or |
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(2) counties designated as nonattainment areas within |
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the meaning of Section 107(d) of the federal Clean Air Act (42 |
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U.S.C. Section 7407). |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 394.010, Health and |
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Safety Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 394.010. CLEAN TRANSPORTATION TRIANGLES [TRIANGLE]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 394.010, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsections |
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(a-1), (a-2), and (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Affected county" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 386.001. |
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(2) "State highway" means a highway in this state |
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included in the plan providing for a system of state highways |
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prepared by the executive director of the Texas Department of |
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Transportation under Section 201.103, Transportation Code. |
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(a-1) To ensure that natural gas vehicles purchased, |
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leased, or otherwise commercially financed or repowered under the |
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program have access to fuel, and to build the foundation for a |
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self-sustaining market for natural gas vehicles in Texas, the |
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commission shall award grants to support the development of a |
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network of natural gas vehicle fueling stations: |
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(1) along the interstate highways connecting Houston, |
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San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth; |
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(2) along the interstate highways connecting San |
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Antonio to Corpus Christi and Laredo and the state highways |
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connecting Corpus Christi and Laredo; [,] and |
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(3) in nonattainment areas and affected counties of |
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the state. |
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(a-2) In awarding the grants, the commission shall provide |
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for: |
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(1) strategically placed natural gas vehicle fueling |
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stations: |
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(A) in and between the Houston, San Antonio, and |
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Dallas-Fort Worth areas to enable a natural gas vehicle to travel |
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along that triangular area relying solely on natural gas fuel; |
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(B) in and between the Corpus Christi, Laredo, |
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and San Antonio areas to enable a natural gas vehicle to travel |
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along that triangular area relying solely on natural gas fuel; [,] |
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and |
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(C) in nonattainment areas and affected counties |
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of the state, to enable a natural gas vehicle to travel in those |
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areas relying solely on natural gas fuel; |
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(2) the grants for each region described by Subsection |
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(a-1)(1), (2), or (3) to be dispersed through a competitive bidding |
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process to offset a portion of the cost of installation of the |
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natural gas dispensing equipment; |
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(3) contracts that require the recipient stations to |
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meet operational, maintenance, and reporting requirements as |
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specified by the commission; and |
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(4) for each region described by Subsection (a-1)(1) |
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or (2), a listing, to be maintained by the commission and made |
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available to the public online, of all natural gas vehicle fueling |
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stations that have received grant funding, including location and |
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hours of operation. |
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(d) Stations funded by grants under this section must be |
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publicly accessible and must be located: |
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(1) not more than three miles from an interstate |
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highway described by Subsection (a-1)(1); |
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(2) not more than three miles from an interstate |
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highway or state highway described by Subsection (a-1)(2); or |
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(3) in a nonattainment area or affected county of the |
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state. |
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(d-1) In awarding grants for stations under this section, |
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the [The] commission shall give preference to: |
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(1) stations providing both liquefied natural gas and |
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compressed natural gas at a single location; |
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(2) stations located not more than one mile from an |
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interstate highway [system]; and |
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(3) stations located in the triangular areas described |
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by Subsections (a-2)(1)(A) and (B) [area between the Houston, San
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Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas]. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |