Bill Summary
The "Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act of 2025" mandates the Secretary of Energy to create a comprehensive National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap. This roadmap will outline strategies and timelines for enhancing the development and utilization of bidirectional charging technology, which allows electric vehicles (EVs) to both receive and supply electricity.
Key elements of the legislation include:
1. **Roadmap Development**: The Secretary must provide a detailed plan within 12 months of enactment that identifies strategies for growth, potential obstacles, key Congressional actions, and cost estimates for implementing bidirectional charging at various paces.
2. **Regulatory Standards**: Within two years, the Secretary is required to establish technical standards for manufacturers to ensure uniformity in bidirectional charging technology. Additionally, all new EVs manufactured from model year 2029 must be capable of bidirectional charging, with some exemptions allowed.
3. **Civil Penalties**: The bill includes provisions for civil penalties for non-compliance, with fines up to $21,000 per violation and a maximum aggregate penalty of $105 million for related violations.
4. **Disaster Recovery Integration**: It requires that state and local hazard mitigation plans include provisions for bidirectional charging capabilities to enhance disaster recovery efforts.
5. **Definitions**: The act defines "bidirectional charging" as the capability of EVs to both receive and supply energy, and clarifies what constitutes an "electric vehicle."
Overall, this legislation aims to accelerate the adoption of bidirectional charging technology, promoting greater energy efficiency and resilience in the electric vehicle market.
Possible Impacts
The "Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act of 2025" can have several implications for different stakeholders. Here are three examples of how this legislation could affect people:
1. **Consumers with Electric Vehicles (EVs)**:
- This legislation mandates that all new electric vehicles manufactured starting in 2029 must be capable of bidirectional charging. For consumers, this means that their EVs could potentially serve as energy storage units, allowing them to sell electricity back to the grid or power their homes during outages. As a result, consumers could save on energy costs and enhance their energy independence, especially in areas prone to power disruptions.
2. **Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles and Charging Equipment**:
- The legislation establishes technical standards for bidirectional charging technology that manufacturers must adhere to. This could lead to increased production costs as manufacturers invest in new technologies to comply with the regulations. However, it could also open up new market opportunities and innovations in the EV sector. Manufacturers may need to enhance their research and development capabilities to meet the requirements, which could ultimately drive competition and potentially lead to lower prices for consumers.
3. **Emergency Management and Local Governments**:
- By requiring state and local governments to incorporate bidirectional charging capabilities into their hazard mitigation plans, this legislation can enhance community resilience during disasters. Electric vehicles equipped with bidirectional charging could provide an emergency power source, supporting critical infrastructure and helping communities recover more quickly post-disaster. This also places additional responsibilities on local governments to plan and implement these systems, which may require training and resources to effectively integrate into existing emergency response frameworks.
Overall, the act not only encourages the adoption of EV technology but also promotes the integration of renewable energy sources and enhances community resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6129 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6129
To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National Electric
Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 19, 2025
Ms. Brownley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a National Electric
Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap, 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 ``Bidirectional Electric Vehicle
Charging Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING ROADMAP.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall develop a National
Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap that includes--
(1) a timeline and strategy for increasing the development
and use of bidirectional charging;
(2) a list of strategies and obstacles to increasing the
development and use of bidirectional charging;
(3) key actions for Congress to consider taking with
respect to bidirectional charging matters; and
(4) cost estimates for increasing the development and use
of bidirectional charging, including a cost estimate for such
an increase if such an increase were to be done at a pace that
is slow, moderate, or fast.
(b) Publication.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and
make available to the public, including on the public website of the
Department of Energy, the National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional
Charging Roadmap developed under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENT FOR BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING.
(a) Regulations.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall issue
regulations--
(1) establishing technical standards for manufacturers of
electric vehicles to standardize bidirectional charging
technology; and
(2) requiring that all new electric vehicles manufactured
beginning in model year 2029 and thereafter be capable of
bidirectional charging, including electric vehicles that are
light-duty motor vehicles and school buses, except as exempted
by the Secretary of Energy, as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(b) Civil Penalties.--
(1) In general.--A person that violates a regulation issued
under this section is liable to the United States Government
for a civil penalty of not more than $21,000 for each
violation. A separate violation occurs for each electric
vehicle or item of electric vehicle equipment and for each
failure or refusal to allow or perform an act required by this
section and the regulations thereunder. The maximum penalty
under this subsection for a related series of violations is
$105,000,000.
(2) Compromise.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Energy may
compromise the amount of a civil penalty imposed under
this section.
(B) Relevant factors in determining amount of
penalty or compromise.--In determining the amount of a
civil penalty or compromise under this section, the
Secretary of Energy shall consider the nature,
circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation.
Such determination shall include, as appropriate--
(i) the nature of the defect or
noncompliance;
(ii) knowledge by the person charged of its
obligations under this section;
(iii) the number of electric vehicles or
items of electric vehicle equipment distributed
with the defect or noncompliance;
(iv) actions taken by the person charged to
identify, investigate, or mitigate the
condition;
(v) the appropriateness of such penalty in
relation to the size of the business of the
person charged, including the potential for
undue adverse economic impacts;
(vi) whether the person has been assessed
civil penalties under this section during the
most recent 5 years; and
(vii) other appropriate factors.
SEC. 4. DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS.
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall
issue such regulations as are necessary to require that hazard
mitigation plans submitted by States or local governments under section
322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5165) incorporate bidirectional charging capabilities.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Bidirectional charging.--The term ``bidirectional
charging'' means, with respect to an electric vehicle, that the
electric vehicle can receive energy from electric vehicle
supply equipment and provide energy to an external load when it
is paired with similarly capable electric vehicle supply
equipment.
(2) Electric vehicle.--The term ``electric vehicle'' means
a vehicle designed to operate exclusively on electricity stored
in a rechargeable battery, multiple batteries, or battery pack.
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