(1)(a) The department’s public transportation division shall establish a green transportation capital grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to aid any transit authority in funding cost-effective capital projects to reduce the carbon intensity of the Washington transportation system, examples of which include: Electrification of vehicle fleets, including battery and fuel cell electric vehicles; modification or replacement of capital facilities in order to facilitate fleet electrification and/or hydrogen refueling; necessary upgrades to electrical transmission and distribution systems; and construction of charging and fueling stations. The department’s public transportation division shall identify projects and shall submit a prioritized list of all projects requesting funding to the legislature by December 1st of each even-numbered year.

(b) The department’s public transportation division shall select projects based on a competitive process that considers the following criteria:

(i) The cost-effectiveness of the reductions in carbon emissions provided by the project; and

(ii) The benefit provided to transitioning the entire state to a transportation system with lower carbon intensity.

(c) During the 2023-2025 fiscal biennium, the department must incorporate principles into the grant selection process with the goal of increasing the distribution of funding to communities based on addressing environmental harms and providing environmental benefits for overburdened communities, as defined in RCW 70A.02.010, and vulnerable populations.

(2) The department’s public transportation division must establish an advisory committee to assist in identifying projects under subsection (1) of this section. The advisory committee must include representatives from the department of ecology, the department of commerce, the utilities and transportation commission, and at least one transit authority.

(3) In order to receive green transportation capital grant program funding for a project, a transit authority must provide matching funding for that project that is at least equal to 20 percent of the total cost of the project.

(4) The department’s public transportation division must report annually to the transportation committees of the legislature on the status of any grant projects funded by the program created under this section.

(5) For purposes of this section, “transit authority” means a city transit system under RCW 35.58.2721 or chapter 35.95A RCW, a county public transportation authority under chapter 36.57 RCW, a metropolitan municipal corporation transit system under chapter 36.56 RCW, a public transportation benefit area under chapter 36.57A RCW, an unincorporated transportation benefit area under RCW 36.57.100, a regional transit authority under chapter 81.112 RCW, or any special purpose district formed to operate a public transportation system.

(6) During the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, the department may provide up to 20 percent of the total green transportation capital grant program funding for zero emissions capital transition planning projects. During the 2023-2025 fiscal biennium, the department may provide up to 10 percent of the total green transportation capital grant program funding for zero emissions capital transition planning projects.

Effective date—2023 c 472: See note following RCW 43.19.642.

Intent—Effective date—2022 c 182: See notes following RCW 70A.65.240.

Effective date—2021 c 333: See note following RCW 43.19.642.

Effective date—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 82.29A.125.

Findings—Intent—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 28B.30.903.