Electric Vehicle Fuel Sold at Retail - Equipment Requirements, Units of Measure, and Fees
HB0969 establishes rules for the retail sale of electricity used as vehicle fuel, primarily affecting electric vehicle charging equipment and charging-session billing practices. The bill requires the owner or possessor of a weight and measure used for retail EV charging to clearly display the name, address, and phone number of a local responsible person, either on or immediately adjacent to the equipment. It also requires electricity sold at retail as vehicle fuel to be measured and sold in kilowatt-hours, and limits customer charges during a charging session to the kilowatt-hours dispensed.
The bill further authorizes charging-station operators to assess additional service fees related to the retail sale of electricity as vehicle fuel. Those fees may be fixed or time-based, may be applied only at the conclusion of a charging session, and must be itemized on the customer’s receipt. The Comptroller is also directed to determine the minimum price for the retail sale of electricity as vehicle fuel, adding a state-level pricing component to the regulatory framework. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB0969 amends the Agriculture Article by adding a new section governing weights and measures used in the retail sale of electricity as a vehicle fuel. It standardizes how EV charging electricity is measured and sold, requires disclosure information at charging equipment, and permits certain service fees while requiring receipt itemization. The bill affects charging-station owners and operators, consumers purchasing EV charging services, and the Comptroller’s office, which gains authority to set a minimum retail price for electricity sold as vehicle fuel.
The available record shows no committee transcripts or recorded votes, so there is no detailed public debate captured in the provided materials. The bill’s enactment and approval by the Governor suggest it moved through the legislative process successfully and was acceptable to the General Assembly and executive branch. Overall, the measure appears to have been treated as a technical consumer-protection and market-clarification bill for EV charging rather than a highly controversial proposal.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or vote history. Based on the bill text, potential areas of concern could include the Comptroller’s authority to determine a minimum price for EV electricity, the requirement that charging-session charges be limited to kilowatt-hours dispensed, and the ability of operators to add service fees. Those issues would most likely matter to charging-network operators, consumer advocates, and regulators, but no explicit opposition or support is recorded here.