HB 2342 Imposes per-mile road usage charge

This bill imposes annual fee in lieu of participation with flat fee indexed to current cost of paying gasoline tax. establishes mandatory per-mile road usage charge for registered owners and lessees of passenger vehicles of model year 2027 or later that have rating of 30 miles per gallon or greater, beginning July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. Repeals voluntary per-mile road usage charge on July 1, 2029.

Personal Choice and Responsibility
It is, in essence, a tax on reducing global warming emissions. It is the opposite of a carbon tax; it is an anti-carbon tax. It shifts road repairs and infrastructure costs onto Oregonians with a transition from current fuel tax, which visitors contribute to, to a per-mile road usage charge.

Fiscal Responsibility
The rate of the per-mile road usage charge extends to all models is five percent of the rate of the per-gallon license tax provided in ORS 319.020, which is 34 cents per gallon ($017); plus registration fees under ORS 803.422. In addition to the per-mile road usage charge there is an additional pollution fee designed to reflect the impact on health and the environment of the criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted by the subject vehicle; and of a kind, and imposed at a rate, that, together with other national, state and local measures, can reasonably be expected to achieve Oregon’s transition to a fully zero-emission fleet, as measured by the benchmarks enacted in chapter 565, Oregon Laws 2019. The rate must be designed to not impact underserved and low-income communities. A new twist on a cap-and-trade agenda with a potential mechanism to increase revenues above what would otherwise be a revenue neutral offset of taxes and fees paid into Oregon’s Highway Trust Fund.

Limited Government
Establishes legislative intent that owners of subject vehicles pay additional fee to reflect health and environmental impacts of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted by subject vehicles, imposed at kind and rate to achieve Oregon’s transition to fully zero-emission fleet. Directs Department of Transportation to conduct a study of best method of imposing and collecting the fee, and best method for making transition from fuel tax system to per-mile road charge system, and submit report to legislature by September 15, 2022. Establishes legislative intent that transition from fuel tax to per-mile road usage charge shall be designed to mitigate negative impact on historically underserved communities and low-income Oregonians.

Local Control
Owners are still required to pay county and district registration fees, and establishes fee for environmental impact of pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted.