Highway Trust Fund Commission Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the Highway Trust Fund to investigate and recommend alternatives to replace the fuel tax as the principal revenue source to support the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) over at least the next 30 years. Directs the Commission to consider: (1) the ability to generate sufficient revenues to meet anticipated long term surface transportation financing needs; (2) the roles of the various levels of government and the private sector; (3) administrative costs; (4) potential taxpayer privacy concerns; (5) likely technological advances; (6) alternative transportation vehicles, including alternative-fueled vehicles; (7) the equity and economic efficiency of each option; (8) the flexibility of different options to allow various pricing alternatives to be implemented; and (9) potential compatibility issues with States' tax mechanisms.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3494 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3494
To establish a National Commission to study the Highway Trust Fund.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2003
Mr. Beauprez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a National Commission to study the Highway Trust Fund.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Highway Trust Fund Commission Act of
2003''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FUTURE REVENUE SOURCES TO SUPPORT THE
HIGHWAY TRUST FUND.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish
a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the Highway
Trust Fund.
(b) Function.--The Commission shall--
(1) conduct a comprehensive investigation of alternatives
to replace the fuel tax as the principal revenue source to
support the Highway Trust Fund over at least the next 30 years;
(2) consult with the Secretary of Transportation and the
Secretary of the Treasury to assure that their views concerning
essential attributes of Highway Trust Fund revenue alternatives
are understood;
(3) consult with the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials to assure that State
transportation agency views on alternative revenue sources to
support State transportation improvement programs are
appropriately considered and that any recommended Federal
financing strategy take into account State financial
requirements; and
(4) make, based on the investigation, specific
recommendations regarding actions that need to be taken to
develop alternative revenue sources to support the Highway
Trust Fund and when those actions must be taken.
(c) Specific Matters To Be Addressed.--The investigation under
subsection (b) shall address specifically--
(1) advantages and disadvantages of alternative revenue
sources to meet anticipated Federal surface transportation
financial requirements;
(2) the time frame within which actions must be taken to
transition from the fuel tax to alternative revenue sources to
support the Highway Trust Fund;
(3) recommendations concerning alternative revenue sources
to support long-term Federal surface transportation financing
requirements;
(4) development of a broad transition strategy to move from
the current tax base to new funding mechanisms, including the
time frame for various aspects of the transition strategy;
(5) recommendations for additional research that may be
needed to implement recommended alternatives; and
(6) the extent to which revenues should reflect the
relative use of the highway system.
(d) Factors To Consider and Evaluate.--The investigation under
subsection (b) shall take into account findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of recent studies by the Transportation Research Board
on alternatives to the fuel tax to support highway program financing
and relevant prior research completed by the Department of
Transportation, the Department of Energy, and others. In developing
recommendations under subsection (b), the Commission shall consider--
(1) the ability to generate sufficient revenues to meet
anticipated long term surface transportation financing needs;
(2) the roles of the various levels of government and the
private sector in meeting future surface transportation
financing needs;
(3) administrative costs, including enforcement, to
implement each option;
(4) potential taxpayer privacy concerns;
(5) likely technological advances that could ease
implementation of each option;
(6) alternative transportation vehicles, including various
alternative-fueled vehicles;
(7) the equity and economic efficiency of each option;
(8) the flexibility of different options to allow various
pricing alternatives to be implemented; and
(9) potential compatibility issues with States' tax
mechanisms under each alternative.
(e) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 9
members as follows:
(A) Three members appointed by the President.
(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(C) Three members appointed by the majority leader
of the Senate.
(2) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (2)
shall have experience in public finance, surface transportation
program administration, managing organizations that use surface
transportation facilities, academic research into related
issues, or other activities that provide unique perspectives on
current and future requirements for revenue sources to support
the Highway Trust Fund.
(3) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for the life of the
Commission.
(4) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled
in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(5) Travel expenses.--Members shall serve without pay but
shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title
5, United States Code.
(6) Chairman.--The Chairman of the Commission shall be
elected by the members.
(f) Staff.--The Commission may engage the services of an
appropriate organization, agency, or firm to conduct the investigation
under subsection (b). The Commission shall provide strategic guidance
for the investigation. Upon request of the Commission, the Secretary
may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that
department to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties
under this section. The staff of the Secretary shall cooperate with the
Commission in the investigation, including providing nonconfidential
data and information as necessary to conduct the investigation.
(g) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Secretary shall provide to the Commission, on a
reimbursable basis, the administrative support and services necessary
for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under this
section.
(h) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than September 30, 2006,
the Commission shall transmit to Congress a final report on the results
of the investigation conducted under this section and specific
recommendations to address the needs identified in the investigation.
(i) Relationship to Other Laws.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act
(5 U.S.C. App.) does not apply to the Commission.
(j) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the 180th day
following the date of transmittal of the report under subsection (h).
By such 180th day, all records and papers of the Commission shall be
delivered to the Administrator of the General Services for deposit in
the National Archives.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit
Account) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 to carry out this section.
(l) Applicability of Title 23.--Funds made available to carry out
this section shall be available for obligation in the same manner as if
such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States
Code; except that the Federal share of the cost of the investigation
and the Commission under this section shall be 100 percent, and such
funds shall remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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