103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3323

 

Introduced 2/7/2024, by Sen. Dan McConchie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Station Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to ensure that charging stations in the State are sufficiently accessible to allow independent use by drivers with disabilities, including people who have limited or no hand dexterity, limb differences, or upper extremity amputations and use adaptive driving controls. Requires chargers designed to serve people who use mobility devices to be located on an accessible route. Provides that the Department shall adopt the technical requirements for accessible routes established under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the federal Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) including walking surfaces, curb ramps, and ramps. Establishes that a charging space with mobility features must provide a vehicle space with a minimum width of at least 11 feet and a minimum length of at least 20 feet. Requires chargers to provide a clear floor or ground space. Requires clear floor or ground spaces to meet ADA requirements for ground and floor surfaces, including criteria for firmness, stability, and slip resistance. Provides that a reasonable number of chargers, as determined by the Department, shall comply with ADA operable parts requirements, including technical requirements for clear floor or ground space, reach ranges, and operation. Provides that a connector must allow operation with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and with no more than 5 pounds of force. Provides that all chargers operated or maintained by any entity within the State must comply with the technical requirements for hardware under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Grants rulemaking authority. Defines terms.


LRB103 35969 MXP 66056 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3323LRB103 35969 MXP 66056 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Station Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "AC Level 2" means a charger that uses a 240-volt
8alternating-current electrical circuit to deliver electricity
9to an electric vehicle.
10    "ABA" means the federal Architectural Barriers Act of
111968.
12    "ADA" means the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of
131990.
14    "Charger" means a device with one or more charging ports
15and connectors for charging electric vehicles. "Charger" also
16includes electric vehicle supply equipment.
17    "Charging port" means the system within a charger that
18charges an electric vehicle. A charging port may have multiple
19connectors, but it can only provide power to charge one
20electric vehicle through one connector at a time.
21    "Charging station" means one or more chargers at a common
22location. "Charging station" includes a large site, such as a
23parking lot or parking garage, that has multiple charging

 

 

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1stations.
2    "Charging station operator" means the entity that operates
3and maintains the chargers and supporting equipment and
4facilities at one or more charging stations. "Charging station
5operator" also includes a charging point operator.
6    "Connector" means a device that attaches electric vehicles
7to charging ports to transfer electricity.
8    "Contactless payment methods" means a secure method for
9consumers to purchase services using a debit, credit,
10smartcard, or another payment device by using radio frequency
11identification technology and near-field communication.
12    "Department" means the Department of Transportation.
13    "Direct current fast charger" or "DCFC" means a charger
14that uses a 3-phase, 480-volt alternating current electrical
15circuit to enable rapid charging through the delivery of
16direct current electricity to the electric vehicle.
17    "Electric vehicle" means an automotive vehicle that is
18either partially or fully powered by electricity.
19    "ICT" means information and communication technology.
20    "Site" means a parcel of land bounded by a property line or
21a designated portion of a public right-of-way.
22    "Vehicle charging inlet" means the inlet on a vehicle into
23which a connector is plugged. "Vehicle charging inlet" also
24includes a charging port or charging door.
25    "Vehicle charging space" means a space to park a vehicle
26for charging. A vehicle charging space can be a marked parking

 

 

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1space or an unmarked area adjacent to a charger.
 
2    Section 10. Accessible chargers; accessible routes.
3    (a) The Department shall ensure that charging stations in
4this State are sufficiently accessible to allow independent
5use by drivers with disabilities, including people who have
6limited or no hand dexterity, limb differences, or upper
7extremity amputations and use adaptive driving controls. A
8reasonable number of chargers, as determined by the
9Department, must have physical access for people who use
10mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and
11canes. Chargers must have accessible communication features
12and operable parts. All chargers containing ICT that are
13developed, procured, maintained, or used by any entity within
14the State must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
15Act and have accessible ICT, including accessible hardware,
16software, and operable parts.
17    (b) Chargers designed to serve people who use mobility
18devices must be located on an accessible route and must
19provide:
20        (1) a vehicle charging space that is at least 11 feet
21    wide and 20 feet long;
22        (2) an adjoining access aisle that is at least 5 feet
23    wide;
24        (3) a clear floor or ground space at the same level as
25    the vehicle charging space and positioned for an

 

 

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1    unobstructed side reach; and
2        (4) accessible operable parts, including parts on the
3    charger and connector.
4    (c) The Department shall adopt the technical requirements
5for accessible routes established by the ADA and ABA
6standards, including walking surfaces, curb ramps, and ramps.
 
7    Section 15. Electric vehicle charging space; access aisle.
8Charging spaces with mobility features must provide a vehicle
9space with a minimum width of at least 11 feet and a minimum
10length of at least 20 feet. Adjacent to the vehicle charging
11space shall be an access aisle that is at least 5 feet wide and
12the full length of the vehicle charging space. Where vehicle
13charging spaces are marked, access aisles shall also be marked
14to restrict parking in them. The width of the vehicle charging
15spaces and access aisles is measured to the centerline of
16markings, but it can include the full width of lines where
17there is no adjacent vehicle space or access aisle.
18    One access aisle may be shared by 2 vehicle charging
19spaces, or a charging space and a parking space, but overlap of
20the aisle shall be limited to 5-feet.
21    Access aisles shall not be blocked or obscured by curbs,
22wheel stops, bollards, or charging cable slack. Floor or
23ground surfaces of vehicle charging spaces and access aisles
24must comply with Section 302 of the American with Disabilities
25Act.

 

 

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1    The access aisle shall be connected by an accessible route
2to the clear floor or ground space at the charger. When
3charging cables are less than 10 feet, the charger must be
4positioned so that the operable parts and clear floor or
5ground space are on the same side as the access aisle.
 
6    Section 20. Clear floor or ground space. Chargers shall
7provide a clear floor or ground space. Clear floor or ground
8spaces must meet ADA requirements for ground and floor
9surfaces, including criteria for firmness, stability, and slip
10resistance. The clear floor or ground space must be free of
11changes in level and not sloped more than 1:48. Grass, curbs,
12wheel stops, and bollards shall not be located within the
13clear floor or ground space. Clear floor or ground space at
14chargers must be a minimum of 30 inches by 48 inches.
15Additional space may be required where the clear floor or
16ground space is confined on 3 sides and obstructed for more
17than half the depth. Chargers shall be installed at the same
18level as the vehicle charging space and access aisle so that
19the clear floor or ground space can be placed as close as
20possible to the charger. If chargers must be installed on a
21curb, such as at on-street parking, the charger must be placed
22as close to the edge of the face of the curb as possible and no
23farther than 10 inches away from the face of the curb.
 
24    Section 25. Operable parts within reach range. A

 

 

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1reasonable number of chargers, as determined by the
2Department, shall comply with Section 309 of the Americans
3with Disabilities Act operable parts requirements, including
4technical requirements for clear floor or ground space, reach
5ranges, and operation. Operable parts on chargers shall
6include, but are not limited to, the connector, card readers,
7electronic user interfaces, and switches and buttons,
8including the emergency start or stop button. All operable
9parts shall also meet the ADA requirements for an unobstructed
10side reach and be no higher than 48 inches above the clear
11floor or ground space and no farther than 10 inches away. An
12exception for a fuel dispenser shall not be used. Operable
13parts shall be placed at a reasonable height, as determined by
14the Department, but not less than a minimum of 15-inches from
15the base of the charger.
 
16    Section 30. Connectors; charging cables. Connectors must
17allow operation with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching,
18or twisting of the wrist, and they must require no more than 5
19pounds of force to operate.
20    Lightweight charging cables, including, but not limited
21to, AC Level 2 and DCFCs shall be of sufficient length, as
22determined by the Department, to charge a vehicle with various
23charging inlet locations. Heavier and shorter DCFC cables
24shall be able to charge a vehicle positioned at least 5-feet
25away and shall be installed so that users can access the

 

 

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1vehicle charging inlet, access aisle, and charger. Charging
2cables shall not block or obstruct accessible routes when
3stored or when connected to vehicles.
 
4    Section 35. Accessible communication features; user
5interface.
6    (a) All chargers that are procured or maintained within
7the State must comply with the technical requirements for
8hardware under Section 508 federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
9    (b) Display screens shall:
10        (1) be visible from a point located 40 inches above
11    the clear floor or ground;
12        (2) avoid bright and rapid flashing lights;
13        (3) include at least one mode with text characters in
14    a sans serif font and have an adjustable text size or a
15    minimum character height of 3/16 inch;
16        (4) enable speech output that includes:
17            (A) an option for display screens to provide
18        speech output that is capable of full and independent
19        use by individuals with vision impairments;
20            (B) coordination with information displayed on the
21        display screen;
22            (C) capabilities that allow for pausing and
23        repeating; and
24            (D) volume controls; and
25        (5) include Braille instructions for initiating the

 

 

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1    speech output function.
2    (c) Input controls shall include:
3        (1) a label on keys and visual controls with high
4    contrast;
5        (2) a control that is tactically discernible;
6        (3) a QWERTY layout when alphabetical keys are
7    provided;
8        (4) a 2-second delay before input of a key is
9    repeated; and
10        (5) a visual, auditory, or tactile alert that notifies
11    the user when a timed response is required and gives the
12    user an opportunity to indicate more time is needed.
13    (d) If the charger requires the user to have an NFC
14keychain card or other physical token that requires a
15particular orientation for its use, then the card or token
16must provide a tactically discernible orientation.
 
17    Section 40. Contactless payment systems; customer service.
18    (a) Registration and payment card readers shall be
19compatible with contactless payment systems, shall be
20tactically discernible, and shall provide visual and audible
21feedback.
22    (b) Charging station operators shall provide customer
23service, help support, or other mechanisms to report outages,
24malfunctions, obstructed chargers, and other issues.
 

 

 

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1    Section 45. Electric vehicle charging station location
2within a site. A charging station must connect to an
3accessible route that leads to an accessible entrance of the
4building or facilities on the same site. Additionally, the
5accessible chargers shall be on the shortest accessible route
6to the accessible entrance relative to other chargers at the
7same charging station.
8    Charging stations in parking garages must provide an
9accessible route that connects to the accessible pedestrian
10entrance of the parking garage. Additionally, a minimum
11vertical clearance of 98 inches must be maintained throughout
12the vehicular route to the accessible vehicle charging space
13and access aisle.
14    Sites with charging stations as the primary purpose shall
15include accessible routes that connect to any amenities on the
16site and, if provided, a sidewalk in the public right-of-way.
17    Charging stations added to existing sites must comply with
18the ADA and ABA requirements for alterations and additions. In
19alterations, compliance with the ADA and ABA standards is
20required to the maximum extent feasible. If charging stations
21are added to an existing site, they must connect to an
22accessible route and a reasonable number of chargers, as
23determined by the Department, must comply with Section 309 of
24the Americans with Disabilities Act and have a clear floor or
25ground space and operable parts within reach range.
 

 

 

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1    Section 50. Electric vehicles charging stations at
2residential facilities. Shared or common-use chargers located
3at residential facilities in the State must be accessible.
4Chargers that are designated to specific residential units
5shall provide the appropriate accessibility features. When
6residential facilities designate parking spaces to each
7residential unit, the parking space for the mobility
8accessible unit must be an accessible parking space. A charger
9provided for a mobility accessible residential unit must have
10a charging space with accessible mobility features. A charger
11provided for a communication accessible residential unit must
12have a charger with accessible communication features.
 
13    Section 55. Rules. The Department shall adopt rules to
14implement and administer this Act.