House Business Committee introduces bill to bar mandates for electric vehicle chargers in parking spaces

The House Business Committee on Wednesday introduced RS 31906, a legislator-sponsored request that would prevent any government entity or private party from requiring electric‑vehicle (EV) charging stations or designated EV parking spaces.

Representative Joe Palmer, representative from District 20 in Meridian, sponsored the RS, telling the committee the measure is intended to prevent local building departments from requiring chargers. “If this bill is inactive, then there will not be a provision available for anyone to force anybody to have any kind of charger that is set up or a parking spot specific for the EV vehicles,” Palmer said. He added, “I think it's a overextending cost that should not be passed on to people.”

The bill was presented as a preemption-style measure that would limit local or state building departments’ ability to require charger installations or designated parking. Chairman Clough noted the committee will hold a formal hearing on introduced rules and bills later; Representative Grant moved to introduce the request so the RS could receive a full hearing at a later date.

Committee members asked procedural questions during the introduction. Representative Burch said she could not initially locate the RS in the shared OneDrive and pointed out a page label indicating the RS was confidential. Chairman Clough acknowledged the committee is testing a new procedure for distributing RSs and told members the packet copy was placed in their desk folder.

A motion to introduce RS 31906 was made and approved by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the committee transcript. The RS will proceed to a formal hearing where members can question language and intent in greater detail.

The committee did not take final action on the underlying policy; introduction sends the RS to a later public hearing where testimony, amendment and a formal vote may occur.