Legislative Action

We are in General Assembly 135.  Items on the page will be ordered starting with Proposed and then showing Passed.  We prioritize the Proposed as those bills still in motion may have Calls to Action.

Even though the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is not a part of the General Assembly, policies about EVs in front of PUCO will also be posted on this page.  We may from time to time highlight other action steps we have taken or that are available to our members.

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We signed on to the Climate Movement Stands with the UAW - https://www.labor4sustainability.org/uaw-solidarity-letter/

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Rate Case for Time Of Use (TOU) in front of Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) as proposed by AEP - https://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?Caseno=23-0023&link=DIVA 

Currently, AEP has a TOU Pilot program.  We caution you to carefully read the fine print and understand the limits for usage during the day as it can deeply affect your per kWh rate.  For additional information, please email OhioEVCharging@aep.com. 

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House Bill 13 would eliminate the additional registration fees for non-plug-in hybrid vehicles. This bill takes the next step in making sure that we are not over-taxing Ohio families for their economic choices by eliminating the additional $100 registration fee applicable to traditional hybrid vehicles. It will ultimately have a positive impact on the budgets of  Ohioans who also continue to pay gas tax every time they visit the pump. Representatives Miller and Weinstein believe that the legislature should not be punishing Ohio families for choosing efficiency by having them foot more than their fair share of the bill.  

You can track it at - https://ohiohouse.gov/legislation/135/hb13

Drive Electric Columbus submitted Proponent Testimony which can be seen below.

Ohio House Bill 23 -  2024/2025 Transportation Budget  

State Representative Jay Edwards (District #94) introduced the 2024-2025 Transportation Budget on February 15th, 2023 and it was referred to the Finance Committee on February 16, 2023.  It had hearings on February 21, 22, and 28.  On March 1st, 2023, it passed the House with a favorable vote of 74 to 21.

Ohio Legislature tracking page -https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb23

Ohio House status page - https://www.ohiohouse.gov/legislation/135/hb23

Comparison Document for the As Passed by House version of HB 23 - https://www.lsc.ohio.gov/assets/legislation/135/hb23/ph/files/hb23-comparison-document-as-passed-by-the-house-135th-general-assembly.pdf

HB 23 as passed by the House would reduce the fee on a Plug-In Hybrid to $100 while leaving the BEV fee at $200 and the Hybrid fee at $100.

Additional points of interest about electric vehicles:

• The Director of Transportation shall request Controlling Board approval for any expenditure of funds received under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that are to be used for the construction or maintenance of electric vehicle charging stations.  
• Ohio Department of Transportation is asking for consideration of $2,000,000 for the DriveOhio team to partner with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation in the deployment of workforce training and credentialing programs related to the emerging field of electric vehicle charging. 

Now that it is in the Ohio Senate, tracking can be found at:  https://ohiosenate.gov/committees/transportation/legislation/hb23

On March 23, the Senate Transportation Committee and the full Senate voted to pass the Transportation budget but not before removing the education in the fee for PHEVs.  The House then held a vote and refused to concur with the Senate Amendments.    There will now be a conference between the House and Senate to reconcile the differences.

The Combined Conference of Ohio House & Senate met on March 28 & 29 and agreed to terms which include a reduction in the fee on Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles from $200 to $150.  This will mean the fee structure per registration year starting on January 1, 2024, will be $200 for Battery Electric Vehicles,  $150 for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles, and $100 for Hybrids.  The completed version passed the Senate 30 to 1 and House 93 to 2.  It will now be heading to the Governor's desk and we should expect it to be signed by March 31.

If you would like to see the Conference Comparison document, you can find it here:  https://www.lsc.ohio.gov/assets/legislation/135/hb23/cr/files/hb23-comparison-document-as-reported-by-the-committee-of-conference-135th-general-assembly.pdf

UPDATED - 2024/2025 Transportation Budget was signed by Governor DeWine on March 31, 2023.  

The new rates which will go into effect on January 1, 2024, are:

$100 per registration year for a Hybrid Vehicle

$150 per registration year for a Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles

$200 per registration year for an Electric Vehicle

Find the full text of the Transportation Budget here: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_135/bills/hb23/EN/06/hb23_06_EN?format=pdf

Ohio House Bill 33 - Ohio Operating Budget for 2024 to 2025

State Representative Jay Edwards (District #94) introduced the 2024-2025 Ohio Operating Budget on February 15th, 2023 and it has passed the House as of April 27th, 2023.  

You can track it at -  https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb33

There are provisions to do with Electric Vehicles (specifically regarding charging infrastructure and utilities).    Scroll down to find a PDF of the EV-related provisions below.

House Bill 201 blocks the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being able to adopt  Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandates (a.k.a. California's Clear Air Act Vehicle Standards).  It also blocks counties or townships from enacting policies that would restrict the use or sale of a vehicle based on its propulsion or other power functions.

This legislation hinders Ohio's ability to be a leader in Electric Vehicle development and adoption.  In a time when we want to demonstrate that Ohio is EV-friendly to encourage manufacturers to move to our state to increase the number of jobs, we will effectively be saying the opposite.   We should be encouraging the growth of the industry not create more barriers.  

In addition to the original intentions of the bill, additional language was added at the last minute which made changes to state law that allow natural gas companies to charge customers for more infrastructure upgrades, extensions and planning costs, including proposed projects that might never be built.

Tracking for HB 201 can be found at - https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb201

Drive Electric Columbus submitted Oponent Testimony which can be seen below.