Texas Senate Bill SB1653

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to a study by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles regarding alternatively fueled vehicles and gasoline and diesel taxes.

Impact

With the growing adoption of alternatively fueled vehicles, the study proposed in SB1653 could reshape the state's approach to vehicle taxation. The findings could lead to the implementation of new fees aimed specifically at alternatively fueled vehicles, ensuring that Texas maintains its highway funding amid declining fuel tax revenues. The study must also address broader questions like whether to implement a vehicle miles traveled fee and how this might affect drivers, potentially impacting their overall cost of vehicle ownership and usage. The outcomes may lead to legislative recommendations that could alter current taxation structures significantly.

Summary

Senate Bill 1653 mandates a study by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles concerning the impacts of alternatively fueled vehicles on existing gasoline and diesel fuel taxes. The bill seeks to understand how the increasing prevalence of these vehicles may correlate with a decline in traditional fuel tax revenues. Specifically, it directs the department to analyze the revenue generated from both gasoline and diesel fuel taxes on a per-mile traveled basis, as well as to compare these figures against the fees and taxes paid by drivers of alternatively fueled vehicles. This evaluation is critical as it attempts to assess the shifting landscape of the vehicle economy and its potential implications for state revenue sources.

Contention

While the bill aims to create a framework for ensuring that alternatively fueled vehicles contribute fairly to highway funding, it may also spark debates over the fairness of taxation. Stakeholders may express concerns that introducing new fees for alternatively fueled vehicles could discourage their adoption and undermine efforts to promote cleaner energy alternatives. Moreover, discussions might arise around the method of calculating vehicle miles traveled, including whether to include out-of-state mileage and how vehicle weight may influence tax calculations. These contentious elements could create a divide between proponents of alternative fuels and those focused on maintaining existing tax structures.