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Curbside EV-charging bill sent to interim study after maintenance, safety and cybersecurity concerns
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Summary
Senate Bill 628, which would enable curbside electric-vehicle charging, was sent to interim study after senators and DOT staff flagged at least 11 unresolved technical and operational issues including maintenance funding, outage reporting, cybersecurity and traffic interference.
The Senate Transportation Committee voted to place Senate Bill 628, a measure to enable curbside electric-vehicle (EV) charging, into interim study after members and department staff identified multiple unresolved technical and administrative issues.
Senator Ward and other members raised practical concerns about curbside charging stations interfering with traffic flow and the lack of clear assignment for ongoing maintenance and signage. The chair noted the department had prepared 11 points that the bill must address before it is ready for passage.
One senator summarized the bill’s intent as good but urged further work: “I just don't think that we're ready for having curbside charging station. I can see it interfere with traffic,” a committee member said. The chair and other members emphasized the need to address cybersecurity requirements, minimum power specifications, outage reporting, and provisions for charger network updates and payment software maintenance before the bill is enacted.
Committee members voiced a desire to develop the EV infrastructure but agreed the current draft requires additional technical fixes. The committee approved interim study so the sponsor can address the department’s list of items and return a revised bill.
Ending: SB628 placed in interim study; sponsor and department will address the listed technical and administrative items before the committee considers the bill again.
