RECHARGE Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2653 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2653

  To amend title 23, United States Code, to permit the use of certain 
  electric vehicle charging stations at rest areas on the Interstate 
                    System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 1, 2025

  Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 23, United States Code, to permit the use of certain 
  electric vehicle charging stations at rest areas on the Interstate 
                    System, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Recharge your Electric Car on the 
Highway to Alleviate Range Gaps Effectively Act'' or the ``RECHARGE 
Act''.

SEC. 2. USE OF AND ACCESS TO REST AREAS ON THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM FOR 
              ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 111 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), 
        the Secretary shall permit, consistent with section 109(s), 
        electric vehicle charging infrastructure for passenger 
        automobiles (as defined in section 32901(a) of title 49) at 
        rest areas on the Interstate System.
            ``(2) Savings clause.--Nothing in this subsection permits 
        commercial activities on rights-of-way on the Interstate System 
        except as necessary for the charging of electric vehicles in 
        accordance with this subsection.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Congestion mitigation and air quality improvement 
        program.--Section 149(c)(2) of title 23, United States Code, is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``such stations'' and inserting 
                ``such natural gas vehicle refueling stations''; and
                    (B) by striking ``of title 23, United States 
                Code''.
            (2) Jason's law.--Section 1401(d)(2) of the Moving Ahead 
        for Progress in the 21st Century Act (23 U.S.C. 137 note; 
        Public Law 112-141) is amended by striking ``Electric vehicle 
        battery charging stations or natural'' and inserting 
        ``Natural''.
    (c) Congressional Intent.--Nothing in this Act or an amendment made 
by this Act is intended as a statement of congressional intent with 
respect to the existing authority of the President or any other Federal 
agency under section 111 of title 23, United States Code.
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