Hinchey's Electric Vehicle Rights Act Signed into Law

KINGSTON, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced the signing of her bill, the Electric Vehicle Rights Act (S8518A), which will advance clean transportation efforts at the local level by removing barriers to the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on private property. The legislation will prevent homeowners’ associations from prohibiting homeowners from installing EV charging stations on their property while also allowing associations to provide input on the installation process.

S8518A-Hinchey will require that any denial of a homeowner's application to install an EV charger be in writing and contain a detailed description of the reasons for the denial. If no written denial is issued to the homeowner within 60 days, the application will be deemed approved unless the delay in approval resulted from the homeowners' association's reasonable request for more information. Hinchey’s legislation will help advance New York State’s roadmap — as set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 — to reach 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025 and to have all new passenger vehicles be zero-emission by 2035.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Making it easier for New Yorkers to own an electric vehicle is essential to fighting the climate crisis locally and meeting our state’s zero-emissions transportation goals. I’m incredibly proud to sponsor legislation that expands the build-out of home charging infrastructure and helps ensure New York stays at the forefront of a clean energy future. I thank Governor Hochul for signing my bill into law and for her strong commitment to achieving the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.”

"We are sparking New York's transition to clean transportation by removing barriers to owning and charging an electric vehicle," Governor Hochul said. "It is not enough to encourage New Yorkers to buy electric - we must build green infrastructure that will drive New Yorkers to choose cleaner and greener modes of transportation. My administration will continue to advance our zero-emission transportation goals, and this legislation will benefit our climate and the health of our communities for generations to come."

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