I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3311 

To direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a pilot program to 

study alternatives to the current system of taxing motor vehicle fuels, 

including systems based on the number of miles traveled by each vehicle. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 23, 2009 

Mr. BLUMENAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Science 

and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a pilot 

program to study alternatives to the current system of 

taxing motor vehicle fuels, including systems based on 

the number of miles traveled by each vehicle. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. ROAD USER FEE PILOT PROJECT; TECH4 NOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

5 (a) ROAD USER FEE PILOT PROJECT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas2 ury shall establish a pilot program under this sub3 section to study alternatives to the current system of 

4 taxing motor vehicle fuels. Such program shall be 

5 known as the ‘‘Road User Fee Pilot Project’’. 

6 (2) MILEAGE BASED PROGRAM.—The Road 

7 User Fee Pilot Project shall study technology and 

8 methods for recording and reporting the number of 

9 miles traveled by particular vehicles, including— 

10 (A) the manner in which a Federal system 

11 would receive payments with respect to the 

12 number of miles traveled by such vehicles, and 

13 (B) integration of such technology and 

14 methods with State and local revenue systems 

15 and demand management systems. 

16 (3) EVALUATION OF METHODS AND TECH17 NOLOGIES.—Technologies and methods tested under 

18 the Road User Fee Pilot Project shall be evaluated 

19 on the basis of— 

20 (A) protection of personal privacy, 

21 (B) ease of compliance, 

22 (C) public acceptance, 

23 (D) geographic and income equity, 


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1 (E) integration with State and local trans2 portation revenue mechanisms (including de3 mand management systems), 

4 (F) administrative, cost, and enforcement 

5 issues, and 

6 (G) potential for fraud and evasion. 

7 (4) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—The programs 

8 carried out under the Road User Fee Pilot Project 

9 shall be conducted in each State and shall be con10 ducted in areas that are diverse geographically and 

11 in vehicle density. 

12 (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GROUPS.—The 

13 Secretary shall coordinate with the following agencies to 

14 coordinate the creation of three working groups and inte15 grate their findings into the final report required under 

16 subsection (d): 

17 (1) TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP.—In coordi18 nation with the Director of the White House Office 

19 of Science and Technology Policy, the Secretary 

20 shall convene a working group to study appropriate 

21 technology platforms and standards to facilitate the 

22 most effective revenue systems. 

23 (2) TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WORKING

24 GROUP.—In coordination with the Secretary of 

25 Transportation, the Secretary shall convene a workVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:13 Jul 24, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3311.IH H3311

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1 ing group to evaluate the costs of collection and ad2 ministration. 

3 (3) ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP.—In co4 ordination with the Administrator of the Environ5 mental Protection Agency, the Secretary shall con6 vene a working group to study the potential to man7 age demand and to reduce the emission of green8 house gases. 

9 (c) TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

11 a grant program to aid the development of on-board 

12 technologies necessary for a miles based program de13 scribed in subsection (a)(2). 

14 (2) ENTITIES ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS.—The fol15 lowing entities shall be eligible for grants for grants 

16 under paragraph (1): 

17 (A) Institutions of higher education, as de18 fined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education 

19 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

20 (B) Commercial manufacturers with an es21 tablished record of passenger vehicle innovation. 

22 (C) Technology manufacturers with an es23 tablished record of wireless networking and 

24 communications. 


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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 

3 Treasury shall submit a written report to the Congress, 

4 providing initial findings from activities authorized by this 

5 section. Not later than 36 months after such date, the Sec6 retary of the Treasury shall submit a written report detail7 ing final findings and conclusions from the activities au8 thorized by this section. 

9 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 

11 Treasury— 

12 (1) to carry out this section (other than sub13 section (c)), $150,000,000, to remain available until 

14 expended, and 

15 (2) to carry out subsection (c), $4,500,000, to 

16 remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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