SR1048: SR1048 Senate Mileage Based User Fee Study Committee; create

26 LC 39 5120 Senate Resolution 1048 By: Senators Still of the 48th, Dolezal of the 27th, Dixon of the 45th and McNeel of the 18th A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Mileage Based User Fee Study Committee; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, alternative fueled motor vehicle owners are required to pay an annual licensing2 fee for operation of such vehicles on Georgia's roadways; and3 WHEREAS, many alternative fueled motor vehicle owners who drive electric vehicles are4 overpaying or underpaying their fair share for road maintenance costs compared to motor5 vehicle owners who pay the motor fuel tax; and6 WHEREAS, the nexus between funding to keep the roads and bridges of this state in good7 repair and the fair allocation of the costs to maintain state's highways to various users8 remains a priority of the legislature; and9 WHEREAS, a mileage based user fee program is an alternative to a set annual licensing fee10 for alternative fueled vehicles that could provide better equit y between vehicles that are11 fueled by electricity and those fueled by gasoline or diesel; and12 S. R. 1048 - 1 - 26 LC 39 5120 WHEREAS, it is important that consultation occur with governmen t agencies and entities13 that might provide useful information for the establishment and implementation of a mileage14 based user fee program; and15 WHEREAS, industry experts could provide necessary information on whether such program16 could be best implemented by a state agency or by a third party contractor; and17 WHEREAS, a mileage based user fee program could allow for electric vehicle owners to pay18 their fair share of what is needed to maintain Georgia's roads that more accurately represents19 such owner's use of such roads than the current alternative fueled vehicle annual licensing20 fee; and21 WHEREAS, it is vital that the privacy of program participants i s considered with any22 mileage based user fee program; and23 WHEREAS, analysis is needed for what fees could be set in a mileage based user program24 that would result in proper funding for infrastructure that equ als those contributions by25 nonelectric vehicle owners; and26 WHEREAS, study of the strengths and weaknesses of mileage based user fee programs27 operating in other states is needed; and28 WHEREAS, recommendations and decisions are needed on policies relating to establishing29 a mileage based user fee program, including, but not limited to, policies which could:30 (1) Allow for monthly or quarterly payments; 31 (2) Easily enroll electric vehicle owners as participants in t he mileage based user fee32 program; 33 S. R. 1048 - 2 - 26 LC 39 5120 (3) Cost effectively capture accurate odometer data and then accurately bill, successfully34 collect, and correctly remit fees collected without ever tracking the location of such electric35 vehicles; 36 (4) Establish best methods for prepayment, account balance min imum, and balance37 replenishment;38 (5) Support monitoring and audit activities of an administration program as necessary to39 review the activities of an account manager's compliance with contract provisions;40 (6) Ensure account manager responsibility for high quality customer service; 41 (7) Provide charge information to each enrolled vehicle owner, which may include vehicle42 miles traveled over each billing period, an overview of usage charge calculation, and any43 offsets based on estimated fuel taxes paid;44 (8) Govern terms and conditions for enrolled vehicle owners; 45 (9) Arrange for timely reports of delinquent accounts and collection of past due program46 fees plus interest before the vehicle can be registered for operation on Georgia roadways;47 (10) Allow for payment methods and related fee matters; and48 (11) Allow for a daily enrollment fee to replace lost revenue between the time a vehicle49 owner enrolls in the mileage based user fee program and the dat e that miles traveled are50 first calculated for the initial mileage based user fee program bill.51 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:52 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Mileage Based53 User Fee Study Committee.54 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of the following members55 to be appointed by the President of the Senate:56 (A) Five members of the Senate;57 (B) The commissioner of transportation or his or her designee; and 58 (C) The commissioner of revenue or his or her designee.59 S. R. 1048 - 3 - 26 LC 39 5120 The President of the Senate shall designate a legislative membe r of the committee as60 chairperson of the committee.61 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,62 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or63 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.64 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee65 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or66 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and67 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.68 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.69 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided70 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.71 (B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,72 or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for th eir services on the73 committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the74 performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they75 are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.76 (C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state of ficials, or state77 employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that78 specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Offi cial Code of Georgia79 Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance a uthorized for state80 employees.81 (D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member82 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds83 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds84 appropriated to the Senate; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of85 state officials, other than legislative members, and for the re imbursement of the86 S. R. 1048 - 4 - 26 LC 39 5120 expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise87 available to their respective agencies.88 (6) Report.89 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that90 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the91 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to92 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.93 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for94 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)95 of this paragraph.96 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of97 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.98 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with99 the Secretary of the Senate.100 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary101 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.102 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.103 S. R. 1048 - 5 -