# Community Vehicle Charging Act of 2021

This bill creates a federal grant program to help low-income and minority communities get access to electric vehicle charging stations. Right now, charging infrastructure is unevenly distributed across the country, and wealthier neighborhoods have much better access than poorer ones. This bill aims to fix that imbalance.

The Department of Transportation would set up a grants program to give money to community organizations, nonprofits, local governments, and other groups working in what the bill calls "environmental justice communities"—areas with primarily low-income or minority populations that face higher pollution and health risks from traffic. These organizations could use the grants to install charging stations in public places like grocery stores, parking lots, schools, and parks, or to retrofit apartment buildings with charging infrastructure. The bill also allows grants for education programs teaching residents about electric vehicles, help for people buying their first EV, and even programs to convert government vehicle fleets to electric.

What makes this different from other charging infrastructure programs is its focus on removing specific barriers that low-income communities face. The bill recognizes that many people in these areas rent rather than own homes, live in apartments without dedicated parking, lack information about EVs, and can't afford the upfront costs of charging equipment. The grant program would require meaningful community involvement in planning projects, compensate community members for their time, provide technical support, and include protections against gentrification—ensuring that improved neighborhoods don't push out current residents through rising rents and property values. The bill also encourages projects to hire local workers and partner with minority-owned businesses.

The program would receive $75 million per year from 2022 through 2026, and the Transportation Department would have to report annually on how many charging stations were installed, how many people are using them, how many electric vehicles residents purchased, and whether the program is actually reducing air pollution in these communities.

Community Vehicle Charging Act of 2021

Crow, Jason

Community Vehicle Charging Act of 2021 This bill establishes a grant program to expand access to electric vehicle infrastructure in communities that consist primarily of minority, low-income, or tribal populations that experience (or are at risk of experiencing) greater adverse human health or environmental effects than other populations. The Department of Transportation must award the grants to <ul> <li>community-based organizations;</li> <li>nonprofits;</li> <li>state, tribal, regional, or local governments;</li> <li>metropolitan planning organizations; or</li> <li>other entities responsible for local transportation planning and projects.</li> </ul> Grant funds may be used for projects that include (1) developing or implementing plans to install publicly available electric vehicle charging infrastructure, (2) supporting shared electric mobility and micro-mobility options (e.g., electric bicycles), and (3) providing electric vehicle chargers and funding for their installation to community residents.