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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an electric motor vehicle mileage |
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fee pilot program by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor |
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Vehicles. |
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(2) "Electric motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle |
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that uses electricity as its only source of motor power. |
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SECTION 2. ELECTRIC MOTOR VEHICLE MILEAGE FEE PILOT |
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PROGRAM. (a) The department by rule shall establish and implement |
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a statewide pilot program to assess owners of electric motor |
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vehicles a vehicle mileage fee that is based on the number of miles |
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traveled on public roads in this state by those motor vehicles. The |
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pilot program must require all electric motor vehicles registered |
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in this state to be subject to the mileage fee. |
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(b) The pilot program must provide for two methods of |
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participation. The owner of an electric motor vehicle may have the |
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vehicle's mileage determined by: |
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(1) an odometer reading that will occur in a manner |
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specified by the department; or |
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(2) a device installed in the vehicle that |
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electronically reports the number of miles traveled. |
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(c) The department by rule shall establish: |
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(1) the technologies to be used under Subsection |
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(b)(2), including technical specifications for those technologies; |
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(2) the manner of fee collection; and |
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(3) incentives for participants to equip their |
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vehicles with an electronic reporting device. |
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(d) In implementing the pilot program the department shall |
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consider, to the extent possible: |
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(1) economic efficiency; |
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(2) long-term revenue generation; |
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(3) long-term revenue stability; |
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(4) charging fairness; and |
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(5) privacy concerns. |
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(e) The department by rule shall set the amount of the |
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electric motor vehicle mileage fee on a per mile basis. In |
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determining the amount of the fee, the department shall consider |
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the average amount of gasoline tax paid for a gasoline-powered |
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motor vehicle of a comparable class. |
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SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than October 1, 2012, the |
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department shall submit a report to the legislature that includes |
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recommendations regarding: |
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(1) the feasibility of permanently assessing an |
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electric motor vehicle mileage fee in this state; and |
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(2) legislation to permanently implement an electric |
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motor vehicle mileage fee. |
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SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2013, |
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and the department may not impose a vehicle mileage fee under the |
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pilot program established under this Act after that date. |
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SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |