The Clean School Bus Act is one of a suite of 8 bills from Senator Cortez Masto and other climate champions in Congress that promote a comprehensive transition to clean transportation. In addition to the Clean School Bus Act, the suite of bills includes the following:
- The Green Spaces, Green Vehicles Act: This legislation creates a ‘‘Green Spaces, Green Vehicles Initiative’’ run jointly by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and DOE to build charging infrastructure on public lands managed by the federal government—allowing millions of visitors to the nation’s scenic areas to access charging and refueling infrastructure. The Act would also work to convert Park Service and Forest Service fleets to zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) technology, with priority for service shuttles.
- The Electric Transportation Commission and National Strategy Act: This legislation establishes a joint working group between the Departments of Energy and Transportation to strategize and report on the barriers and opportunities to national coordination on electric transportation. The working group would be required to compile a resource guide for localities, consumers, and businesses.
- The Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act:This legislation requires DOE to study access to EV charging stations, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color, and implement the findings through a new grant program. The Department would also have to ensure that its programs benefit communities of color by providing access to electric vehicle infrastructure, addressing clean transportation needs, and improving air quality in such communities. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09).
- The Greener Transportation for Communities Act:This legislation allows tax exemptions that permit state and local governments to more easily fund electric charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure projects, particularly when those projects are part of airports, affordable housing, docks, green buildings, and other major infrastructure.
- The Green Bus Tax Credit Act: This legislation provides a tax incentive for more domestic manufacturing of electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses, making these innovations more affordable and creating jobs in the field of green technology.
- The More Access to ZEV Equipment (MAZE) in Transit Act:This legislation allows Federal Transit Administration programs to fund zero-emission vehicles charging infrastructure at transit stations and parking lots.
It is exciting to see this kind of comprehensive and ambitious attention to transportation pollution from Congress. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto and the other co-sponsors of these bills. This is what climate leadership looks like.
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