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Committee holds bill to direct motor-vehicle excise tax to DOT; will await DOT budget
Summary
A Senate Appropriations Government Operations Division meeting deferred action on Senate Bill 2,142, which would route the motor-vehicle excise tax into the Department of Transportation's flexible fund, saying staff will fold the proposal into the DOT budget and revisit it.
Chairman Wozik said committee work on Senate Bill 2,142 will be treated as committee work rather than a hearing and that he sponsored the bill. The bill as drafted now would place 100% of the motor-vehicle excise tax into the Department of Transportation’s flexible fund.
The committee agreed to hold the bill until the DOT budget is considered so the proposal can be folded into DOT budget amendments rather than advance as a standalone measure. "This bill will probably be held until the DOT budget goes through," Wozik said, adding the committee will watch whether the DOT budget amendments accomplish the intended allocation; if they do, he said he will kill the standalone bill.
Senator Eberly asked whether the change would be made as an amendment to the DOT budget and was told yes. Senator Dwyer said that was his understanding as well. Committee members said they prefer to include the excise-tax allocation in the single DOT budget package to avoid a separate bill that might be defeated and undo the work.
No formal vote on SB 2,142 was taken; the committee recorded its intent to hold the bill pending DOT budget action. The chair said staff (Brady) is preparing DOT amendments and the committee expects to see the DOT budget later in the week.
The chair characterized the discussion as committee direction rather than a final decision: the committee will incorporate the excise tax allocation into DOT budget amendments if members are satisfied, otherwise the bill may remain pending.
