California Air Resources Board

What is a Case Evaluation?

A case evaluation is an evaluation made by California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff at the request of an applicant or potential applicant of the California E-Bike Incentive Project who believes that the California E-Bike Incentive Project Terms and Conditions and/or the California E-Bike Incentive Project Implementation Manual were not adhered to during their application process.  During a case evaluation, California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff seek to determine whether or not the Administrator's decision comports with the California E-Bike Incentive Project Terms and Conditions and the California E-Bike Incentive Project Implementation Manual. Case evaluations are initially conducted by CARB staff that support the California E-Bike Incentive Project but are not involved in day-to-day decisions related to the California E-Bike Incentive Project. Staff may elevate evaluations raising novel questions or precedential matters to independent reviewers in CARBʼs legal office or executive management as needed. In most cases, it is necessary for CARB staff to communicate with the Administrator regarding case evaluations to ensure technical and administrative accuracy, perform adequate review, clarify understanding of complex cases, and, when applicable, ensure that the Administrator is prepared to implement CARBʼs decision. CARB staff may also need to communicate with applicants/potential applicants regarding their case evaluation requests. Due to limited staffing resources, and the scope and complexity of some case evaluations, it may take several months for a case to be reviewed. Case evaluations will be reviewed in the order they are received. All decisions are final. 

Case evaluation requests must set forth all facts that form the basis for a case evaluation. If the only basis for a case evaluation request is that the applicant/potential applicant disagrees with the policies set forth in the California E-Bike Incentive Project Terms and Conditions and/or the Implementation Manual, then there is no basis for a case evaluation request, the case evaluation will be closed, and the Administrator's original decision will stand. 

Submitting a Case Evaluation?

California E-Bike Incentive Project applicants whose rebate applications have been approved, cancelled, or denied by the program Administrator, may request a case evaluation within ten calendar days of the date of approval/cancellation/denial. Applicants submitting case evaluation requests are advised to add the California Air Resources Board's email domain, @arb.ca.gov, to their safe senders list. Case evaluations should only be submitted for cases where the applicant/potential applicant believes that the California E-Bike Incentive Project Terms and Conditions and/or the California E-Bike Incentive Project Implementation Manual were not adhered to by the Administrator. Exceptions to the policies will not be made.  

Examples of common reasons for cancellation/denial that exceptions will not be made for, include, but are not limited to: 

• If the applicant/did not respond to emails from the Program Administrator, including, but not limited to, email directed to spam, junk, bulk, or promotions email folders, within the given timeframe.
• If the applicant did not submit the correct supporting documentation within the given timeframe.
• For issues related to family emergencies.
• For issues related to travel. This includes the inability to access email while traveling.
• For issues related to financial hardship.
• For issues related to medical concerns.

If you believe that the program Administrator’s, decision does not comport with the California E-Bike Incentive Project Terms and Conditions and/or the California E-Bike Incentive Project Implementation Manual, then you may mail a case evaluation request to: 

CA E-Bike Case Evaluations
MSCD 5th Floor
1001 I St. 
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA 95812

A case evaluation request must be sent by mail, through a postal service, and not via e-mail. For security reasons, e-mailed case evaluation requests will not be accepted. Please note that case evaluation requests must be postmarked within ten calendar days of application approval/cancellation/denial. Neither your letter, nor any attachments or enclosures, will be returned to you, so please do not send the original versions of documents to this address.