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H 18

Legislative recommendations of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Idaho H 18 preempts state and local requirements to include EV charging stations or EV parking in building plans; emergency clause makes it effective on passage.

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Bill Summary · H 18

Summary: Idaho House Bill 18 (H 18) – Electric Vehicle Building Plan Requirements – Preemption

Overview

  • Bill Number: H 18
  • Short Title: Building Code – Adds to existing law to prohibit laws that require electric vehicle charging stations or parking spaces in any building plan and to provide for preemption
  • Introduced: January 16, 2025
  • Status: Reported Printed and Referred to Business
  • Emergency Clause: Yes (effective on passage and approval)
  • Primary Purpose: To preempt both state and local governments from requiring EV charging stations or designated EV parking spaces to be included in building plans.

Key Provisions

  1. New Section Created: Adds Idaho Code § 39-4109B, addressing Electric Vehicle Building Plan Requirements – Preemption.
  2. Preemption Language:
    • “Neither the state of Idaho nor any local government in Idaho shall adopt any requirement that an electric vehicle (EV) charging station or a designated EV parking space be included in a building plan.”
    • This section supersedes any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations that would otherwise require an EV charging station or EV parking space to be included in a building plan.
  3. Emergency Effect: The act includes an emergency clause, making the provision in full force and effect upon passage and approval.

Fiscal Note

  • Impact on Public Finances: Claimed to have no fiscal impact; no change in revenue or expenditures at state or local levels.
  • Contact for further details: Representative Joe A. Palmer

Who Is Affected

  • State and Local Governments: Prohibited from imposing requirements to include EV charging stations or EV-designated parking in building plans.
  • Developers, Builders, and Property Owners: Subject to preemption; cannot be compelled by government to include EV charging infrastructure in building plans.
  • EV Infrastructure Policy Landscape: Shifts potential EV charging requirements away from building plan mandates; may influence future adoption through market or non-building-plan mechanisms.

Timeline and Legislative Context

  • Introduced: 01/16/2025
  • First Action: 01/16/2025 (read first time, referred to Printing)
  • Subsequent Action: 01/17/2025 (Reported Printed and Referred to Business)

Potential Implications and Considerations

  • The bill restricts the ability of states and localities to require EV charging stations or EV parking spaces as part of building plans, aligning with a broader preemption approach.
  • With the emergency clause, the provision could take effect immediately upon enactment, influencing ongoing and future building projects from the moment of passage.
  • Local governments seeking to promote EV infrastructure would need to rely on non-building-plan tools (e.g., incentives, zoning, permitting processes outside building plans) rather than mandatory plan requirements.
  • Private market factors and federal or utility programs may play a larger role in EV charging deployment if building-plan mandates are removed or preempted.

Note: This summary reflects the text and fiscal note provided for H 18 as introduced in the 2025 session.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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