Bill Text: HI SB719 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Transportation; Vehicle Miles Traveled Pilot Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-05-11 - Carried over to 2010 Regular Session. [SB719 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SB719-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 411

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 719

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 719 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a surcharge on vehicle net weight to be assessed on sales of passenger cars and pickup trucks, and to establish a clean fuel special fund into which the surcharge is deposited.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one state department and two organizations.  Testimony in opposition was received from two organizations.  Comments were received from one state department and one organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

Your Committees find that paying less and avoiding having to pay any liquid fuel tax is often viewed as a factor that encourages motorists to purchase or use more fuel-efficient motor vehicles or motor vehicles that use alternative sustainable fuel sources.  The liquid fuel tax, however, is the primary means of funding the infrastructure improvements needed to support motor vehicular travel, regardless of fuel type.  As the use of fuel efficient and alternative energy vehicles becomes more prevalent, less gas will be consumed and liquid fuel tax collections will correspondingly diminish.  The current method of assessing the motor vehicle liquid fuel tax on a per gallon basis will become increasingly ineffective at generating a stable revenue source to fund the land transportation infrastructure program.  The number of miles each vehicle travels is a better gauge of its actual use and associated impact on the land transportation infrastructure.

 

     Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting provisions to establish a vehicle miles traveled pilot program to explore the possibility of collecting user fees from users of highways.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 719, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 719, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs,

 

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair		____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair