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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
March 24, 2021
ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1712 By: Hill and Hilbert of the
House
and
Haste of the Senate
An Act relating to transportation; declaring
legislative intent; creating the Oklahoma Road User
Charge Program; creating the Road User Charge Task
Force; providing for task force representation from
certain groups; providing for duties of task force;
requiring submission of f indings and recommendations
to Legislature by certain date; authorizing the
Oklahoma Tax Commission to collect certain fees and
charges; requiring fees collected be used for certain
purposes; providing for noncodification; providing
for codification; and providing an effective date .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares the following:
1. An efficient transportation system is critical for
Oklahoma's economy and quality of life;
2. The revenues currently av ailable for highways are
unsustainable and inadequate to preserve and maintain existing
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infrastructure and provide funds for improvements that would reduce
congestion and improve service;
3. The gas tax is an ineffective mechanism for meeting
Oklahoma's long-term revenue needs because it will steadily generate
less revenue as vehicles become more fuel efficient and alternative
sources of fuel are ut ilized. Currently, alternative -powered
vehicles contribute less to road user revenue used for building and
maintaining Oklahoma's highways, with some contributing none;
4. Many other states have begun to explore the potential for a
road usage charge to repla ce traditional motor fuel taxes;
5. Road usage charging is a policy whereby motorists pay for
the use of the roadway network ba sed on the distance they travel;
6. A road user charge program has the potential to distribute
the gas tax burden across all vehicles regardless of the fuel source
and to minimize the impact of the current regressive gas tax
structure;
7. Experience to date in other states across the nation
demonstrates that mileage -based charges can be implemented in a way
that ensures data security and maximum privacy protection for
drivers;
8. According to the Department of Transportation 's Long Range
Transportation Plan, by 2045, the amount of fuel tax revenue
generated per vehicle miles traveled is expected to decrease by
forty-four and seven-tenths percent (44.7%); and
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9. It is therefore vital to begin the exploration of
alternative revenue s ources that may be implemented in lieu of the
antiquated gas tax structure now in place.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Sectio n 1930 of Title 69, unless there
is created a duplicat ion in numbering, reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Road
User Charge Program".
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1931 of Title 69, un less there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. 1. There is hereby created the Road User Charge Task Force.
The task force shall be chaired by the Executive Director of the
Department of Transportation and shall consist of, but shall not be
limited to, representation from the following groups:
a. Department of Transportation ,
b. Metro Planning Organizations (MPOs) ,
c. Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and
Technology,
d. Office of Management and Enterprise Services ,
e. Oklahoma Tax Commission ,
f. Oklahoma Municipal League ,
g. Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma ,
h. Oklahoma Corporation Commission ,
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i. Department of Transportation Tribal Advisory Board ,
j. Industry representatives,
k. Office of the Speaker of t he House of Representatives,
and
l. Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
2. The Road User Charge Task Force shall:
a. consult with highway users and transportation
stakeholders including stakeholders representing
vehicle users, vehicle manu facturers and fuel
distributors, to ensure fair and equitable
distribution of the gas tax burden across all veh icles
regardless of fuel source,
b. study the availability, adaptability, reliability and
security of methods that may be used in recording and
reporting public road usage,
c. study the ease and cost of administering the
collection of taxes and fees as an alternative to the
current system of taxing highway use t hrough motor
vehicle fuel taxes,
d. ensure that processes for collecting, managing,
storing, transmitting and destroying data are in place
to protect the integrity of the data and safeguard the
privacy of drivers,
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e. collaborate with other states to seek potential
interoperability opportun ities to capture out-of-state
drivers traveling through Oklahoma,
f. develop and implement a voluntary pilot program to
assess the potential for mileage -based revenue
collection for Oklahoma 's roads and highways as an
alternative to the gas tax system,
g. through public outreach, secure a sampling of
individuals willing to participate in the pilot
program for testing purposes in lieu of paying certain
vehicle registration fees, and
h. seek available federal funds for studies,
demonstration projects or pilot s associated with the
Oklahoma Road User Cha rge Program's implementation.
B. A report of findings and rec ommendations determined by the
task force on how best to implement the Oklahoma Road User Charge
Program shall be submitted to the Legislature by Dece mber 31, 2023.
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 193 2 of Title 69, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
The Oklahoma Tax Commission shall admi nister the collection of
any charges or fees associate d with the Oklahoma Road User Charge
Program. Collections from the road usage charges imp osed under this
act shall be specifically designated for the purpose of maintaining
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and improving the roads, hig hways and bridges in the State of
Oklahoma.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
March 24, 2021 - DO PASS