Sponsor
Jeff Merkley
Senator · D-OR
Senator · D-OR
The bill makes highway EV charging more accessible—improving convenience and emissions outcomes—while shifting costs and limiting some local commercial and funding flexibility, creating a trade‑off between broader EV access and potential taxpayer expenses and reduced local revenue/funding clarity.
Drivers of passenger vehicles — including middle-class families and travelers from rural and urban communities — gain access to EV charging at Interstate rest areas, making long‑distance EV trips more convenient and reducing range‑anxiety.
Residents and travelers in areas served by Interstate corridors (urban and rural communities) could see lower tailpipe emissions because easier access to highway charging supports greater EV usage on long trips.
EV charging network providers and transportation planners benefit from a clearer, standardized federal permission framework for chargers at rest areas, simplifying planning and investment decisions.
Taxpayers may face higher installation and ongoing maintenance costs for EV chargers placed on Interstate right‑of‑way, or the federal government may need to divert resources to operate and manage those facilities.
State and local governments could lose clarity or eligibility for some federal funding tied to prior MAP‑21 language if the bill narrows that text, complicating transportation funding and planning.
Local governments and small businesses may have reduced opportunities for additional revenue-generating commercial activities at rest areas because the bill limits commercial uses to what is necessary for charging.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to permit passenger‑car EV charging infrastructure at Interstate rest areas while limiting other commercial uses of Interstate rights‑of‑way.
Official title: 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.
Introduced August 1, 2025 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress August 1, 2025
Requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to allow electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for passenger cars at Interstate rest areas, overriding existing restrictions that have limited commercial activities at those sites. The authorization forbids other commercial uses of Interstate rights-of-way except as needed to support EV charging and makes conforming edits to existing statutory language to clarify that the change applies to EV charging for passenger automobiles. The bill is short and narrowly focused: it adds a new authorization to title 23 to permit EV charging at Interstate rest areas, adjusts related statutory text to avoid ambiguity, and includes a non-substantive statement about intent regarding executive authority.