Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2255 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1018 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2255
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Jason M. Lewis
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to explore alternative funding sources to ensure safe and reliable transportation.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1018 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2255
18	18	By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2255) of Jason M. Lewis for
19	19	legislation explore alternative funding sources to ensure safe and reliable transportation.
20	20	Transportation.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 2350 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to explore alternative funding sources to ensure safe and reliable transportation.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. This bill is intended to help address the need for the commonwealth to
32	32	2identify short- and long-term alternatives or supplements to the motor vehicle fuel tax, which is
33	33	3particularly important given the diminishing value of the motor vehicle fuel tax, declining
34	34	4supplies of conventional petroleum-based fuels, and increasing fuel-efficient vehicles. The
35	35	5commonwealth is uniquely positioned to become a leader in the advancement of technology and
36	36	6methods needed to develop and implement alternative ways to raise transportation revenue.
37	37	7 SECTION 2. TASK FORCE
38	38	8 (a) There shall be a vehicle mileage user fee task force to guide the development and
39	39	9evaluation of a pilot program to assess the potential for mileage-based revenue collection for 2 of 5
40	40	10Massachusetts’ roads and highways as an alternative to the current system of taxing highway use
41	41	11through motor vehicle fuel taxes.
42	42	12 (b) The task force shall consist of the following members: the secretary of transportation
43	43	13or the secretary’s designee, who shall serve as chair; 1 member to be appointed by the governor,
44	44	14who shall be a registered civil engineer with at least 10 years’ experience; 1 member to be
45	45	15appointed by the president of the senate, who shall be a representative of a transportation
46	46	16consumer organization or other public interest organization; 1 member to be appointed by the
47	47	17minority leader of the Senate, who shall be an expert in transportation data security, 1 member to
48	48	18be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, who shall be a member of a regional
49	49	19planning agency; 1 member to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of
50	50	20representatives, who shall be a member of a business association; 1 member to be appointed by
51	51	21the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, who shall be an expert in the field of
52	52	22transportation finance; 1 member to be appointed by the House Chair of the Joint Committee on
53	53	23Transportation, who shall be a representative of a privacy rights advocacy organization.
54	54	24 (c) The task force may request the department of transportation to perform such work as
55	55	25the task force deems necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
56	56	26 (d) The task force shall gather public comment on issues and concerns related to the pilot
57	57	27program; make recommendations to the department of transportation on the design and on the
58	58	28criteria to be used to evaluate a pilot program to test alternative approaches; and evaluate any
59	59	29pilot program implemented by the department under this Act.
60	60	30 (e) The task force shall conduct at least 6 public hearings, 1 in each of the department’s
61	61	31highway districts. The task force shall provide interested persons with an opportunity to submit 3 of 5
62	62	32their views orally and in writing and the department may create and maintain a website to allow
63	63	33members of the public to submit comments electronically and to review comments submitted by
64	64	34others. The task force shall provide notice of each public hearing by publication in a newspaper
65	65	35of general circulation in the highway district in which the hearing is to be located in each of 2
66	66	36successive weeks, the first publication to be at least 14 days before the day of the hearing and, if
67	67	37feasible, by posting a notice in a conspicuous place in the cities or towns within the highway
68	68	38district for at least 14 consecutive days immediately prior to the day of the hearing.
69	69	39 SECTION 3. PILOT PROGRAM.
70	70	40 (a) The department of transportation shall develop, implement and oversee one or more
71	71	41statewide pilot programs to assess owners of motor vehicles a user fee that is based on the
72	72	42number of miles traveled on roads in this state by those motor vehicles.
73	73	43 (b) The pilot programs shall include at least 1,000 volunteers across the commonwealth
74	74	44who are representative of drivers of trucks, passenger, and commercial vehicles and throughout
75	75	45the commonwealth, who will have on-board vehicle-mileage-counting equipment added to their
76	76	46vehicles, administered in a manner the department of transportation deems appropriate.
77	77	47 (c) The pilot programs shall test the reliability, ease of use, cost and public acceptance of
78	78	48technology and methods for:
79	79	49 (1) counting the number of miles traveled by particular vehicles;
80	80	50 (2) reporting the number of miles traveled by particular vehicles; and
81	81	51 (3) collecting payments from participants in the pilot programs. 4 of 5
82	82	52 (d) The pilot programs shall also analyze and evaluate the ability of different
83	83	53technologies and methods to:
84	84	54 (1) protect the integrity of data collected and reported;
85	85	55 (2) ensure drivers’ privacy; and
86	86	56 (3) vary pricing based on the time of driving, type of road, proximity to transit, vehicle
87	87	57fuel efficiency, participation in car-sharing or pooling or income of the driver.
88	88	58 (e) The pilot programs shall last at least one year.
89	89	59 (f) The department of transportation shall refund motor vehicle fuel taxes paid by
90	90	60participants in pilot programs under this Act or otherwise compensate participants in pilot
91	91	61programs under this Act to ensure that participants are not required to spend more on fees or
92	92	62taxes than if they had not participated in the program. Identifying information about participation
93	93	63in the pilot programs shall not be public and shall be exempt from disclosure under M.G.L. c. 66,
94	94	64s. 10.
95	95	65 (g) The Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall submit an application to the
96	96	66United States Department of Transportation for funding in federal fiscal year 2024 for the
97	97	67Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Program established in the Fixing
98	98	68America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act to help fund the pilot program. If the
99	99	69application is not successful, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall thereafter
100	100	70apply in each federal fiscal year in which grants are made available for demonstration projects
101	101	71under this federal program or until the application results in funding for a vehicle miles traveled
102	102	72pilot program, whichever first occurs. 5 of 5
103	103	73 SECTION 4. REPORT. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no
104	104	74later than three years from the passage of this Act, the department of transportation shall report
105	105	75to the general court the initial result of the pilot study, including the feasibility of permanently
106	106	76assessing a vehicle mileage user fee, an evaluation of the impacts of such a fee on the economy,
107	107	77the environment, and traffic congestion, a comparison to other potential alternatives or
108	108	78supplements to the gas tax, and its initial recommendations together with legislation necessary to
109	109	79carry its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house
110	110	80of representatives, and to the joint committee on transportation.