Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 3, March 1, 2024
(1) A person may only apply for a Charge
Ahead rebate if the person:
(a) Owns or
leases a vehicle that meets the requirements established in OAR
340-270-0410;
(b) If leasing a
vehicle, has a minimum lease term of 24 months;
(c) Intends to retain the registration of the
eligible vehicle for a minimum of 24 consecutive months after the purchase or
lease date; and
(d) Is an Oregon
resident.
(2) To qualify
for a Charge Ahead rebate, an applicant must:
(a) Apply using a form approved by
DEQ;
(b) Provide information and
documentation sufficient to allow DEQ to verify that the applicant purchased or
leased a vehicle that meets the requirements established in OAR
340-270-0410;
(c) Provide
sufficient information to allow DEQ to determine that:
(A) For vehicles purchased or leased prior to
January 1, 2022, the applicant is a member of a low or moderate-income
household during the year the vehicle was purchased or leased. DEQ will rely on
documentation of an applicant's household income from the year the vehicle was
purchased or leased or, if that information is unavailable or inadequate, from
a previous year. DEQ will rely on the most recent area median income
determinations of the Housing and Community Services Department available at
the time of application; or
(B) For
vehicles purchased or leased on or after January 1, 2022, that either:
(i) The applicant is a member of a qualifying
household during the year the vehicle was purchased or leased. DEQ will rely on
documentation of an applicant's household income from the year the vehicle was
purchased or leased or, if that information is unavailable or inadequate, from
a previous year. DEQ will rely on the most recent federal poverty level
determinations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services available at
the time of application; or
(ii)
The applicant is a low-income service provider during the year the vehicle was
purchased or leased. The applicant must provide documentation that demonstrates
to DEQ's satisfaction that the applicant is a low-income service provider, as
defined in OAR 340-270-0030(9).
(d) Purchase or lease an eligible vehicle
from a vehicle dealer or from an original equipment manufacturer, that does not
have licensed franchised new automobile dealers in Oregon;
(e) Provide proof of registration of the
vehicle that meets the requirements established in OAR 340-270-0410 in
Oregon;
(f) Submit an application
within 6 months after the vehicle purchase or lease date;
(g) Provide any additional information and
documentation requested by DEQ that is necessary to ascertain that the
applicant qualifies for a rebate;
(h) Provide information requested by DEQ that
DEQ determines is necessary to ascertain that the person is not buying,
selling, or leasing vehicles in a manner that circumvents the intent of the
Charge Ahead Program, including an attestation that the person has not in the
past owned or leased the vehicle for which a rebate is sought; and
(i) Participate in ongoing research efforts
and surveys regarding the program.
(3) Recipients may assign the rebate to a
vehicle dealer, or to an original equipment manufacturer that does not have
licensed franchised new automobile dealers in Oregon. The limit established in
subsection (5) of this rule does not apply to vehicle dealers or automobile
manufacturers who receive rebate assignments pursuant to this
section.
(4) Recipients may not
make or allow any modifications to the vehicle's emission-control systems,
hardware, or software calibrations, or the vehicle's hybrid system.
(5) A low income service provider that
applies for a rebate is limited to 10 rebates per calendar year.
(6) The application review process
established by OAR 230-270-0200 applies to applications for Charge Ahead
rebates.
(7) The vehicle ownership
requirements established by OAR 230-270-0300 apply to Charge Ahead
Rebates.
(8) DEQ will conduct
community outreach to qualifying households and low-income service providers,
in order to:
(a) Solicit feedback on program
implementation; and
(b) Take steps
to ensure the program is promoted effectively.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS
468.020, 2017
Or. Law Ch. 750 Sec. 148-157, House Bill 4059 (2018), Sec. 18-21 & House
Bill 2592 (2019), Sec. 35-37
Statutes/Other Implemented: 2017 Or. Law Ch. 750 Sec.
148-157, House Bill 4059 (2018), Sec. 18-21, House Bill 2592 (2019), Sec. 35-37
& 2021 Or. Laws, Ch. 95, §§ 4a, 5, 6, 8 and
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