Electric vehicle charging stations: installation: permits.

Existing law requires a city, county, or city and county (local government) to administratively approve an application to install an electric vehicle charging station (EV station) through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Existing law requires those EV stations to meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by specified entities. This bill would require this administrative approval to extend to EV stations with a canopy, as defined, or onsite energy storage systems sized to support charging. This bill would also require any electric vehicle supply equipment installed at the EV station to meet all applicable safety and performance standards. Existing law requires every local government to adopt, pursuant to specified deadlines, an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for EV stations. Existing law requires the local government to adopt a checklist of all requirements with which the EV stations must comply with for expedited review. This bill would require the ordinance to also address expedited streamlining for any supporting infrastructure necessary for or accessory to the operation of EV stations, as described, and would clarify that the checklist may be amended. The bill would require the ordinance and checklist to be amended to implement the bill's provisions no later than December 31, 2027. This bill would further provide that if the local government has not adopted or amended such a checklist, an application to install an EV station must contain specified information about the proposed project to the building official of the local government, including, but not limited to, the specific location of the EV station. The bill would require the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to develop and publicly post a standardized form that applicants may use and submit to the local government for purposes of satisfying this requirement. The bill would also require GO-Biz to develop and publicly post an optional template that applicants may use to document their application's compliance with specified provisions relating to the submittal of their EV station application. This bill would require a local government to provide, no later than 30 days after an application has been deemed approved, a written notice to the applicant of the date the application was deemed approved and identify all permits and authorizations that have been granted. The bill would authorize an applicant to proceed with project construction following that notice, as described. This bill would prohibit its provisions from being construed to limit a local agency's ability to, among other things, require plans or supporting documentation that are necessary to verify an electric vehicle charging station, including supporting infrastructure, meets all health and safety requirements of local, state, and federal law, as provided. This bill would make conforming changes and revise various definitions in these provisions, including by redefining an EV station for purposes of these provisions to mean a physical site where one or more devices with one or more charging ports and connectors for charging electric vehicles are available for use. By imposing additional duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.