SB 628 enables curbside electric vehicle charging in public rights-of-way by creating a new statutory framework for highway authorities to license, regulate, and enforce the installation and operation of curbside EV charging equipment. The bill defines key terms such as curbside EVSE, operator, host property, and host energy reimbursement arrangement, and authorizes state and municipal authorities to issue licenses for charging stations located in or adjacent to on-street parking spaces. Licenses would not create a property interest and could be revoked for cause or for public work needs, with removal and restoration costs borne by the licensee.
The bill also addresses how curbside charging may be powered, allowing either a dedicated electric service and meter or an arrangement in which the operator uses electricity from an adjacent host property and reimburses the host for energy and related costs. It specifies that operators of charging stations are not to be treated as public utilities solely because they own or operate EVSE or resell electricity through the equipment, and it similarly protects host property owners from utility status when participating in reimbursement arrangements. The bill directs that interconnection, metering, and submetering comply with safety and utility standards, and it allows the Department of Transportation to adopt rules and model materials to help implement the program.
SB 628 would also set siting, design, parking, consumer disclosure, and reporting requirements. Charging equipment must preserve pedestrian access, comply with accessibility standards, avoid tripping hazards, and be located away from curb returns, sight triangles, hydrants, bus stops, and driveways. Highway authorities could reserve parking spaces for active charging, impose time limits and idle-fee policies, require signage and markings, and enforce violations through ticketing and towing. Operators must disclose pricing and idle-fee policies, and they must report station location and characteristics to the federal Alternative Fuels Data Center, with optional local reporting on uptime and utilization.
The bill’s impact on state law would be to add a new subdivision to RSA 236 governing curbside EV charging and to amend existing parking-related provisions to clarify enforcement and connector/cable access rules. It would expand the authority of state and local highway authorities over on-street EV charging while limiting legal uncertainty around utility regulation, property rights, and host-property reimbursement arrangements. It also creates obligations for operators regarding maintenance, relocation for public works, restoration of damaged right-of-way, and compliance with accessibility and consumer disclosure standards.
The available context shows no recorded committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment beyond the bill’s introduction and sponsorship. Based on the bill text and committee assignment, the measure appears policy-oriented and technical rather than controversial on its face, with an emphasis on enabling EV infrastructure while preserving public-right-of-way control and consumer protections. Potential points of contention include municipal and state authority over licensing and enforcement, whether curbside charging should be treated as a utility activity, and the practical burdens of fees, insurance, accessibility compliance, and right-of-way restoration on operators and host properties.
SB 628 would amend RSA 236 by creating a new legal framework for curbside electric vehicle charging in public rights-of-way and by adding related parking and consumer-protection provisions. It would authorize state and municipal highway authorities to license curbside EVSE, regulate siting and design, reserve parking spaces for charging, enforce active-charging rules, and require reporting and disclosures. The bill also clarifies that EV charging operators and host properties participating in reimbursement arrangements are not public utilities solely because of those activities, while preserving utility interconnection and safety requirements.
No committee transcript or vote record is available in the provided materials, so there is no documented legislative debate or recorded sentiment. From the bill’s structure and sponsorship, the measure appears generally supportive of expanding EV charging infrastructure, with a regulatory approach intended to make curbside deployment feasible for municipalities, utilities, operators, and property owners. The overall tone is enabling and administrative rather than restrictive.
The main likely areas of contention are the scope of highway authority control, the treatment of charging operators and host properties under utility law, and the operational burdens placed on applicants and licensees. Questions may arise over licensing fees, insurance and indemnification requirements, revocation rights, and the obligation to relocate equipment for public works. Additional concerns could involve accessibility compliance, enforcement of active-charging and idle-fee rules, and whether allowing host-property reimbursement arrangements could create disputes over electricity resale or utility regulation.