Bill > H2984

This bill proposes reforms and improvements to the Commonwealth's transportation system by exploring alternative funding sources to the motor vehicle fuel tax, which is becoming less effective due to factors like increased fuel efficiency and declining petroleum supplies. To achieve this, a vehicle mileage user fee task force will be established, comprising various experts and representatives, to guide the development and evaluation of a pilot program. This pilot program, overseen by the department of transportation, will involve at least 1,000 volunteer vehicle owners who will have mileage-counting equipment installed in their vehicles to test the feasibility of charging a user fee based on the number of miles driven. The program will assess the reliability, ease of use, cost, and public acceptance of technologies for tracking, reporting, and collecting payments for miles traveled, while also prioritizing data integrity, driver privacy, and potentially varying pricing based on factors like driving time and road type. Participants will be compensated to ensure they don't incur additional costs compared to not participating, and their participation will be kept confidential. Finally, within three years of the bill's passage, the department of transportation will report to the general court on the pilot program's results, including its feasibility, economic and environmental impacts, and recommendations for future legislation.