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Bill would allow electric-vehicle decal for HOV lanes; committee lays measure on table
Summary
Sen. Johnson Stewart told the Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee that Senate File 1904 would let electric-vehicle owners buy a decal allowing use of HOV lanes; the committee laid the bill on the table for possible omnibus inclusion after brief debate about equity and traffic effects.
Senator Johnson Stewart, sponsor of Senate File 1904, told the Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee on March 19 that the bill would let owners of battery-electric vehicles purchase a decal that authorizes them to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes without charge. "It's good for everybody," Johnson Stewart said while describing MnDOT traffic data that, she said, shows room for additional vehicles in HOV lanes since travel declined after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill's sponsor said MnDOT currently runs a program that provides one-time EZPass toll credits to buyers of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles — $250 for fully electric vehicles and $125 for hybrids — and that the proposed decal would make enforcement easier by giving law enforcement a visible identifier. Johnson Stewart also said she is carrying a separate provision to increase the registration fee for electric vehicles to $200 to address equity concerns.
Senator Jasinski opposed the bill on policy and equity grounds, arguing that HOV lanes were created to reduce vehicle trips and that electric vehicles pay less in registration fees than gasoline vehicles. "If you want to be equitable, just open all those lanes up to everybody," Jasinski said, saying the change would pick winners and losers.
A letter of support from Fresh Energy was included in committee packets, and MnDOT Office of Traffic staff were present in the room to answer questions but did not present testimony. Committee Chair announced that Senate File 1904 was laid on the table for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
The measure drew a brief discussion about traffic modeling, enforcement visibility and equitable charges for road use; no formal vote on passage took place in committee. Implementation would depend on subsequent committee action and possible inclusion in omnibus legislation.
The committee convened and considered three bills during the hearing; the EV decal provision was one of them and was held for further consideration.
