BILL REQ. #:  H-4781.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/02/10.   

     AN ACT Relating to including alternative fuel vehicles in a strategy to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from state agency fleets; and amending RCW 43.41.130.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 43.41.130 and 2009 c 519 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The director of financial management, after consultation with other interested or affected state agencies, shall establish overall policies governing the acquisition, operation, management, maintenance, repair, and disposal of((,)) all ((passenger)) motor vehicles owned or operated by any state agency. ((Such)) These policies shall include but not be limited to a definition of what constitutes authorized use of a state owned or controlled passenger motor vehicle and other motor vehicles on official state business. The definition shall include, but not be limited to, the use of state-owned motor vehicles for commuter ride sharing so long as the entire capital depreciation and operational expense of the commuter ride-sharing arrangement is paid by the commuters. Any use other than such defined use shall be considered as personal use.
     (2)(a) By June 15, 2010, the director of the department of general administration, in consultation with the office and other interested or affected state agencies, shall develop strategies to ((reduce)) assist state agencies in reducing fuel consumption and emissions from all classes of vehicles.
     (b) In an effort to achieve lower overall emissions for all classes of vehicles, state agencies should, when financially comparable over the vehicle's useful life, consider purchasing or converting to ultra-low carbon fuel vehicles.
     (3) State agencies shall ((use these strategies to:
     (1))) phase in fuel economy standards for motor pools and leased petroleum-based fuel vehicles to achieve an average fuel economy standard of thirty-six miles per gallon for passenger vehicle fleets by 2015((;
     (2))).
     (4) When purchasing light duty passenger vehicles after June 15, 2010, state agencies may only purchase:
     (a) Petroleum-based fuel vehicles that achieve an average fuel economy of forty miles per gallon ((for light duty passenger vehicles purchased after June 15, 2010; and
     (3))); or
     (b) Ultra-low carbon fuel vehicles.
     (5) When purchasing light duty vans and sport utility vehicles after June 15, 2010, state agencies may only purchase:
     (a) Petroleum-based fuel vehicles that achieve an average fuel economy standard of twenty-seven miles per gallon ((for light duty vans and sport utility vehicles purchased after June 15, 2010)); or
     (b) Ultra-low carbon fuel vehicles.
     (6) State agencies must report annually on the progress made to achieve the goals under subsections (((1) through)) (3) through (5) of this section beginning October 31, 2011.
     (7) The department of general administration, in consultation with the office and other affected or interested agencies, shall develop a separate fleet fuel economy standard for all other classes of petroleum-based fuel vehicles and report the progress made toward meeting the fuel consumption and emissions goals established by this section to the governor and the relevant legislative committees by December 1, 2012.
     ((For the purposes of this section, light duty vehicles refers to cars, sport utility vehicles, and passenger vans.))
     (8) The following vehicles are excluded from the ((agency fleet)) average fuel economy ((calculation)) goals established in subsections (3) through (5) of this section: Emergency response vehicles, passenger vans with a gross vehicle weight of eight thousand five hundred pounds or greater, vehicles that are purchased for off-pavement use, ultra-low carbon fuel vehicles, and vehicles that are driven less than two thousand miles per year.
     (9) Average fuel economy calculations used under this section for petroleum-based fuel vehicles must be based upon the current United States environmental protection agency composite city and highway mile per gallon rating.
     (10) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Petroleum-based fuel vehicle" means a vehicle that uses, as a fuel source, more than ten percent gasoline or diesel fuel.
     (b) "Ultra-low carbon fuel vehicle" means a vehicle that uses, as a fuel source, at least ninety percent natural gas, hydrogen, biomethane, or electricity.