Bill > H3142

This bill establishes a pilot program by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to explore alternatives to the traditional motor vehicle fuel tax, which is becoming less effective due to declining fuel sales and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The pilot program will involve at least 1,000 volunteer drivers across the state, who will have special equipment installed in their vehicles to track the miles they drive. MassDOT will use this program to test various technologies and methods for accurately counting, reporting, and collecting payments based on vehicle mileage, while also evaluating how to protect data privacy and potentially adjust fees based on factors like driving time, road type, vehicle efficiency, or driver income. Participants may be reimbursed for fuel taxes paid or otherwise compensated, and information about the program will be kept confidential. MassDOT is required to report the findings of this pilot program, including its feasibility, economic and environmental impacts, and recommendations for future action, to the state legislature within two years of the bill's passage.