AB 1524: State Air Resources Board: zero-emission drayage trucks: Project 800 initiative.

Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program that is administered by the State Air Resources Board for the purposes of funding projects related to, among other things, reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Pursuant to the Air Quality Improvement Program, the state board has established the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project to provide vouchers to help California fleets purchase hybrid and zero-emission trucks and buses. On September 23, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order No. N-79-20 establishing a goal that 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the state be zero emission by 2045 for all operations where feasible, and by 2035 for drayage trucks. The state board created the Project 800 initiative to support the deployment of zero-emission trucks serving California ports by setting a goal of 800 zero-emission drayage truck orders in 2021.

This bill would require the state board to extend the Project 800 initiative to provide continued financial incentives to support the ordering of an additional 1,000 to 1,600 zero-emission drayage trucks in 2022 to serve California ports. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that an additional 1,000 to 1,600 zero-emission drayage trucks will be ordered by December 31, 2022, and will begin operating at California ports by December 31, 2024, and that funding for the initiative come from, but shall not be limited to, the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project. The bill would require that funds available pursuant to the initiative only be provided if the purchaser or entity operating a zero-emission drayage truck is in compliance with all applicable labor, employment, tax, and health and safety laws at the time of the purchase of that drayage truck, and maintains compliance thereafter. prohibit Project 800 initiative financial incentives from being made available to an applicant unless that applicant attests to the state board, in writing, that the applicant does not have an applicable law violation, as defined, at the time of application, and that the applicant will not have an applicable law violation for a specified period. The bill would authorize any person to submit a report that a purchaser or entity operating a zero-emission drayage truck that has received Project 800 initiative financial incentives, defined as a participating fleet, has failed to provide a truthful attestation or has an applicable law violation during the specified period to the Department of Industrial Relations for investigation. If the Department of Industrial Relations determines that a participating fleet failed to provide a truthful attestation or has an applicable law violation, the bill would require the participating fleet to repay all Project 800 initiative financial incentives received, including interest, as directed by the state board. The bill would prohibit a participating fleet that is on a list maintained by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement pursuant to a specified law from receiving Project 800 initiative financial incentives.