Chapter 25A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 11J. THE COMMONWEALTH COMMUNITY ACCESS TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES GRANT INITIATIVE

(a) The department of energy resources shall establish THE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES GRANT INITIATIVE to help finance bike share programs and ownership programs that municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations administer.

(b) A local municipality, business, or nonprofit organization awarded money under the grant initiative may use the money to purchase and maintain electric bicycles, equipment, and infrastructure for its bike share program or ownership program, pay labor costs related to implementation of the program, and cover the direct and indirect administrative costs that the local municipality, business, nonprofit organization, or a third-party contractor incurs in implementing the program.

(c) To be eligible to apply for money under the grant initiative, a municipality, business, or nonprofit organization must administer themselves, or contract with a third party to administer, a bike share program using a fleet of electric bicycles, or an ownership program offering an electric bicycle to a specific individual or household.

(d) In administering the grant initiative, the department of energy resources shall establish an application process for local municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to apply for the money under the grant initiative. The department of energy resources shall develop criteria for awarding grant money; giving priority to local municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations offering a program in one or more environmental justice or disproportionately impacted communities.

(e) The department of energy resources shall require that local municipalities, businesses, or nonprofit organizations provide at least a certain percentage of matching money for the initiative.

(f) The department of energy resources shall develop periodic reporting requirements for a grantee to demonstrate that the money awarded is being used in compliance with the purposes of this section, as well as procedures for addressing a grantee’s noncompliance with this section, including procedures for reimbursement of money awarded.

(g) The department of energy resources may use up to ten percent of the money in the fund to cover its direct and indirect costs incurred in administering the grant initiative in this section.