HB 2718

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Creates an Interstate 81 Committee, tasked with developing and updating a program related to Interstate 81 Corridor safety and improvements, and creates an Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Fund (Fund). The bill provide revenues for the Fund through the creation of a new registration fee, a diesel tax, a regional gas tax, and a roads tax. The new registration fee would apply to non-passenger vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds. Additionally, private and for-hire nonpassenger vehicles would pay the existing registration fee at the rate currently paid by for-hire vehicles. Beginning July 1, 2021, a tax at the rate of 2.03 percent of the statewide average wholesale price of a gallon of diesel fuel would be imposed statewide on the sale of diesel fuel. A regional gas tax, like the tax imposed in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads regions, would be applied to the sale of gasoline and diesel at a rate of 2.1 percent of the statewide average price of a gallon of gasoline and diesel fuels. The existing roads tax, currently $0.035 per gallon of fuel, would be determined annually by the Commissioner by multiplying the average fuel economy (defined in the amendment as the total taxable miles driven in the Commonwealth divided by the total taxable gallons of fuel consumed in the Commonwealth, as reported on International Fuel Tax Agreement Returns) by $0.01125 for fiscal year 2020, and by $0.0225 for fiscal year 2021 and each year thereafter. All of the revenues generated by the regional gas tax would be deposited in the Fund. The other new revenues would be apportioned among the Fund, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Fund, and Commonwealth Transportation Board for use in other interstate corridors based upon total vehicle miles driven by vehicles classified as Class 6 or higher on Interstate 81, interstates within the boundaries of Planning District 8, and other interstate corridors, respectively, as compared with total vehicle miles driven on interstates in the Commonwealth by vehicles classified as Class 6 or higher. This bill is identical to