82R7158 AJZ-D
By: Harper-Brown H.B. No. 1669
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of an electric motor vehicle mileage
fee pilot program by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles.
(2) "Electric motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle
that uses electricity as its only source of motor power.
SECTION 2. ELECTRIC MOTOR VEHICLE MILEAGE FEE PILOT
PROGRAM. (a) The department by rule shall establish and implement
a statewide pilot program to assess owners of electric motor
vehicles a vehicle mileage fee that is based on the number of miles
traveled on public roads in this state by those motor vehicles. The
pilot program must require all electric motor vehicles registered
in this state to be subject to the mileage fee.
(b) The pilot program must provide for two methods of
participation. The owner of an electric motor vehicle may have the
vehicle's mileage determined by:
(1) an odometer reading that will occur in a manner
specified by the department; or
(2) a device installed in the vehicle that
electronically reports the number of miles traveled.
(c) The department by rule shall establish:
(1) the technologies to be used under Subsection
(b)(2), including technical specifications for those technologies;
(2) the manner of fee collection; and
(3) incentives for participants to equip their
vehicles with an electronic reporting device.
(d) In implementing the pilot program the department shall
consider, to the extent possible:
(1) economic efficiency;
(2) long-term revenue generation;
(3) long-term revenue stability;
(4) charging fairness; and
(5) privacy concerns.
(e) The department by rule shall set the amount of the
electric motor vehicle mileage fee on a per mile basis. In
determining the amount of the fee, the department shall consider
the average amount of gasoline tax paid for a gasoline-powered
motor vehicle of a comparable class.
SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than October 1, 2012, the
department shall submit a report to the legislature that includes
recommendations regarding:
(1) the feasibility of permanently assessing an
electric motor vehicle mileage fee in this state; and
(2) legislation to permanently implement an electric
motor vehicle mileage fee.
SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2013,
and the department may not impose a vehicle mileage fee under the
pilot program established under this Act after that date.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011.