House Transportation Committee advances multiple EV and drone bills in series of substitute motions

The House Transportation Committee on a single day adopted substitute language and voted to report a large package of bills tied to EV trucking and drone regulation to the Committee on Rules.

The session began with Chair Altman introducing an EV IFTA trucking package and reassuring members that the bills do not impose "double taxation" on electric semi trucks, saying they would pay a straight user fee similar to diesel trucks. Representative Frisbee and other members then moved a series of substitute adoptions and reports.

Key actions included the adoption of substitute H1 for House Bill 5433 (adopted; chair announced 16 yeas, 1 nay, 0 pass) and reporting that bill to Rules; substitution and reporting of HB 5434, HB 5435 and HB 5479; and the committee's consideration of a drone package that included bills numbered in the 5319–5332 range. Representative Brock and Representative Bruck led many of the motions on the drone bills; multiple substitutes (for example, H3 on HB5319 and HB5327, H1 on HB5320 and HB5330) were adopted and reported with varying margins noted in roll calls.

Votes at a glance:

- HB 5433: Substitute H1 adopted; substitute reported to Committee on Rules (adoption announced 16–1–0; reporting roll call 10–1–6 pass). Representative Frisbee moved the adoption and report. - HB 5434: Substitute H2 adopted and reported to Rules (substitute adoption reported by the chair; Representative Bruck moved the adoption and reporting). - HB 5435: Substitute H2 adopted and reported to Rules (Representative Preston moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5479: Substitute H1 adopted and reported (Representative Bonak moved the adoption and reporting). - HB 5319: Substitute H3 adopted and reported (Representative Brock moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5320: Substitute H1 adopted and reported (Representative Bruck moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5321: Substitute H3 adopted and reported after corrected clerking (Representative Brunk/Brunk moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5322: Reported with recommendation (Representative Bruck moved reporting). - HB 5323: Substitute H1 adopted and reported (Representative Bruck moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5324: Reported with recommendation (Representative Bruck moved reporting). - HB 5325: Reported with recommendation as substitute H2 (Representative Bruck/Bruch moved reporting). - HB 5326: Reported with recommendations as substitute H2 (Representative Bruck moved reporting). - HB 5327: Substitute H3 adopted and reported (Representative Bruck moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5328: Reported (Representative Brock moved reporting). - HB 5329: Reported with recommendation (Representative Bruck moved reporting). - HB 5330: Substitute H1 adopted and reported (Representative Bruck moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5331: Substitute H3 adopted and reported (Representative Brock moved adoption and reporting). - HB 5332: Referred to Committee on Rules (Representative Bruck moved referral; chair announced 11 yeas, 2 nays, 4 pass).

Several motions were procedural and many roll calls showed a number of members recorded as "pass" on reporting votes; all outcomes above reflect the motions and tallies the clerk announced on the record.

Committee members and movers generally framed these actions as routine committee business to move legislation up the process. The chair summarized the packages prior to votes; Representative Brock read in supporting and opposing cards for the drone bills to place stakeholder positions on the public record.

The committee moved to other business after the votes and later returned to hear testimony on a separate bill (HB 5644).