Department of Agriculture - Public Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment - Registration, Regulation, and Oversight

HB 1039 requires owners of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations - those accessible to the public for a fee - to register with the Maryland Department of Agriculture by October 1, 2026. It mandates that these stations meet accuracy standards for billing (like weights and measures laws), undergo testing for compliance, and adhere to reliability and reporting rules set by the Agriculture Secretary and Public Service Commission. The bill creates new regulations (under new Sections 11-501-509 of Maryland’s Agriculture Code) specifically for public EV charging equipment, excluding private or shared private stations (e.g., home chargers or workplace-only units). Owners must ensure stations operate reliably (measured as "uptime") and conform to standards to avoid civil penalties. This directly affects businesses and entities operating public EV charging networks across Maryland.