California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project: vehicle eligibility: schoolbus grant requirements.

Existing law establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The state board, in this capacity, administers the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project under which the agency issues a limited number of vouchers to incentivize the purchase and use of zero-emission commercial vehicles. This bill would require the state board to authorize a voucher issued under the program to be used for the acquisition of any zero-emission vehicle that meets specified requirements, including that the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating that exceeds 8,500 pounds and the vehicle is purchased for fleet operations by a public or private fleet or for personal and commercial use by an individual. If the voucher is provided to an individual to acquire a vehicle for personal and commercial use, the bill would require that individual to attest under penalty of perjury that the vehicle will primarily be used in furtherance of a valid commercial or business purpose, including, but not limited to, hauling or towing. By requiring this attestation under the penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the state board to administer any funds made available to the project specifically for the procurement of zero-emission schoolbuses in accordance with specified requirements. Among other requirements, the bill would require the state board to make this funding available to local educational agencies in the form of grants and would require the state board to authorize local educational agencies to apply to the state board for capital grants to support the purchase of zero-emission schoolbuses to replace heavy-duty internal combustion schoolbuses or operations grants to support the incremental cost of zero-emission schoolbus service provided to a local educational agency by a private contractor, as specified. The bill would require grantees to submit certain information and documentation resulting from the grant to the state board and would require the state board to track the success of grants awarded for these purposes by taking specified actions. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.