Bill Description: House Bill 86 would preempt local regulations requiring building plans to include electric vehicle charging stations or designated EV parking.

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NOTE: House Bill 86 is similar to House Bill 18, introduced earlier this session. 

Does it give government any new, additional, or expanded power to prohibit, restrict, or regulate activities in the free market? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce government intervention in the market?

Governments have a wide range of power when it comes to planning and zoning, and in recent years, some have used this power to push an agenda prioritizing electric vehicles.

House Bill 86 would create Section 39-4109B, Idaho Code, to preempt such requirements. It says, "Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, neither the state of Idaho nor any local government in Idaho shall adopt any requirement that an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a designated EV parking space, an upgraded electrical conduit, or other infrastructure for the purpose of EV charging station installation be included in a building plan."

It also says, "This section supersedes any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by a political subdivision or municipality that requires an EV charging station, a designated EV parking space, an upgraded electrical conduit, or other infrastructure for the purpose of EV charging station installation to be included in a building plan."

This bill would let markets, not bureaucrats and politicians, decide when and where to add charging stations and parking spaces to EVs. It is always better to let private actors make decisions such as this. 

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