Transportation

Virginia Fleet Modernization Advisory Council; established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fleet Modernization Advisory Council to coordinate cost-effective, resilient, and decarbonization-aligned strategies for public and private fleet modernization in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Council to report annually by the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its activities and recommendations. The Council has a sunset date of July 1, 2031.

Department of Transportation; work group; examine reclaimed asphalt pavement study; report. Directs the Department of Transportation to convene a work group to examine the Characterizing and Improving Binder Availability and Activity in Asphalt Mixtures with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) study conducted by the Virginia Transportation Research Council and make certain recommendations, and to submit a report of the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than December 1, 2026.

Memorializing Congress; National Infrastructure Bank. Urges the Congress of the United States to create a National Infrastructure Bank to finance urgently needed infrastructure projects.

Potomac River Ferry Restoration of Service Working Group; report. Requires the Commissioner of Highways to convene the Potomac River Ferry Restoration of Service Working Group (the Working Group) to identify and implement a solution to resume ferry service for any ferry service that ceased operations on or after December 1, 2020, between Point of Rocks and the American Legion Bridge along the Potomac River. The bill authorizes the Office of the Attorney General, Secretary of Transportation, and Commissioner of Highways to enter into any agreement proposed by the Working Group, provided that each such official determines that the agreement is necessary, prudent, and in the public interest, and the agreement places no additional financial burden on the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Working Group to submit a report on its findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026.

Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities; (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill; or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land. The bill provides that a private developer may apply for a grant in an amount equal to 70 percent of the private developer's non-utility costs for the installation of such public electric vehicle charging stations. The awarding of a grant under the Program is conditional upon an agreement with the applicant that any cost of a project not funded by a grant awarded by the Program be funded by non-federal funds. The bill directs the Department of Energy to establish guidelines for the administration of the Program, including guidelines related to the application for and award of grants. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.