Panel advances bill to levy fee on older heavy‑duty trucks to fund air‑quality work

Representative Tyler Clancy sponsored HB 263, which would add an emissions‑tiered fee on certain heavy‑duty trucks when they are registered in Utah, with the goal of encouraging fleet modernization and raising funds for air‑quality mitigation.

Clancy said the policy targets the oldest heavy‑duty trucks and argued that updating engines or retiring pre‑2010 trucks produces large emissions benefits. “The simple upgrade from a pre‑2010 heavy duty truck to a modern engine delivers emission benefits equivalent of taking 20 older trucks off the road,” he told the committee while describing the bill and a drafting clarification in Amendment 2. Amendment 2 also clarifies nonattainment county language and confirms the bill does not intend to impact garbage trucks.

Bryce Byrd, director of the Division of Air Quality, described the Environmental Mitigation and Response Fund referenced in the original draft as an existing tool the division has used to augment federal diesel replacement grants and invest in electric school‑bus infrastructure. “We can augment those federal funds with these and make a lower impact on the businesses that are taking advantage of them,” Byrd said, describing past fund uses for vehicle replacement and infrastructure.

Public testimony included online comments from Shelley Hillworthen, who said severe asthma and other local air‑quality harms motivated her to support the bill. “We have severe air quality problems, and I really like that this bill would help mitigate some of that,” she said.

The committee debated an amendment (Amendment 3) moved by Representative Thurston that would deposit fee revenues into the state Transportation Fund rather than earmarking them to a specific mitigation fund. Thurston argued earmarks can create perverse incentives and reduce the incentive to remove polluting vehicles. Supporters of earmarking said the dedicated fund better ensures the money is used for emission‑reduction programs. The committee adopted Amendment 3 by an 8–2 vote (Representatives Dominguez and Oakland recorded in opposition).

After amendment votes, the committee voted 8–2 to favorably recommend HB 263 as amended. The sponsor and supporters emphasized the bill is intended to promote fleet upgrades and fund targeted air‑quality work; critics said the fee may not stop trucks from entering Utah and questioned exemptions and administrative details.