HB 62-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2023 SESSION

23-0076

09/10

 

HOUSE BILL 62-FN

 

AN ACT relative to adjusting the road toll.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Prout, Hills. 13; Rep. Cushman, Hills. 28; Rep. Berezhny, Graf. 11; Rep. Ankarberg, Straf. 7; Rep. T. Lekas, Hills. 38; Rep. A. Lekas, Hills. 38; Rep. L. Turcotte, Straf. 4; Rep. Polozov, Merr. 10; Rep. Hynes, Hills. 2

 

COMMITTEE: Public Works and Highways

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

ANALYSIS

 

This bill reduces the total road toll from $.222 per gallon to $.18 per gallon.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

23-0076

09/10

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three

 

AN ACT relative to adjusting the road toll.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Administration of Motor Vehicle Laws; Temporary Suspension of Road Toll; General Fund Appropriations.  Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 260:32 to read as follows:

260:32  Levy of Tolls and Exemptions.  There is hereby imposed a road toll of [$.18] $.138 per gallon upon the sale of each gallon of motor fuel sold by distributors thereof, as adjusted according to RSA 260:32-a. The road toll shall be collected by the distributor from the purchaser and remitted to the state in the manner hereinafter set forth. All revenues collected from [adjustments] the $.042 adjustment under RSA 260:32-a [for rates that exceed $.18 per gallon] shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to, and expended exclusively by, the department of transportation in accordance with RSA 260:32-b. Provided, that the road toll shall not apply to:

2  Appropriations; Department of Safety; General Fund Replacement for Reduced Road Tolls.

I.  The commissioner of the department of safety shall annually determine the total amount of revenue reduction attributable to the reduction in the unadjusted road toll rate under RSA 260:32 from $.18 to $.138 for any state fiscal year until the effective date of the repeal of RSA 260:32-a certified under 2014, 17:6, and the reenactment of the road toll rate to $.18 under 2014, 17:2, and report said amount to the state treasurer and state comptroller no later than August 31 of each year.

II.  The amount reported under paragraph I is hereby appropriated annually from the general fund to the department of safety for deposit in the state highway fund and / or transfer to the department of transportation.  These appropriations shall not lapse.  The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for such sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

III.  The commissioner of the department of transportation shall include the amounts appropriated from the general fund in the calculation of "Apportionment A" distributions under RSA 235:23, I for disbursement to cities, towns, and unincorporated places, and for expenditures under the highway and bridge betterment program in RSA 235:23-a.

3  Expenditure of Road Toll Revenue.  Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 260:32-b, IV to read as follows:

IV.  For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 [and each fiscal year thereafter] through June 30, 2023, expenditure of revenues collected from adjustments under RSA 260:32-a for rates that exceed $.18 per gallon, less required "Apportionment A" distributions under RSA 235:23, I on said revenues, shall be made for the following purposes in the following order of priority:

4  New Paragraph; Expenditure of Road Toll Revenue.  Amend RSA 260:32-b by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:

V.  For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, expenditure of revenues collected from adjustments under RSA 260:32-a in accordance with the $.042 adjustment, less required "Apportionment A" distributions under RSA 235:23, I on said revenues, shall be made for the following purposes in the following order of priority:

(a)  Debt service payments for bonds issued pursuant to RSA 6:13-d.

(b)  In addition to sums otherwise appropriated, $6,800,000 for state bridge aid for municipal bridges under RSA 234.

(c)  All remaining funds deposited into the highway and bridge betterment account under RSA 235:23-a.

5  Authority to Borrow for Transportation Projects.  Amend RSA 6:13-d, II to read as follows:

II.  Payment of principal and interest on the bonds issued under paragraph I shall be paid when due from the highway funds collected and appropriated in accordance with the $.042 adjustment under RSA 260:32-a [for rates that exceed $.18 per gallon] and expended in accordance with RSA 260:32-b.

6  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.

 

LBA

23-0076

Redraft 11/16/22

 

HB 62-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to adjusting the road toll.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

   Appropriation

$0

$34,046,435

$34,046,435

$34,046,435

   Revenue

$0

($34,046,435)

($34,046,435)

($34,046,435)

   Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [ X ] Highway           [    ] Other

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill, effective July 1, 2023 (FY 2024), reduces the base road toll under RSA 260:32 to $0.138 per gallon (a $0.042 reduction from the current rate of $0.180 per gallon). Annually, the Department of Safety will calculate the revenue reduction attributable to this bill and report the amount to the state treasurer and state comptroller no later than August 31 of each year. This amount will be appropriated annually from the general fund and transferred to the highway fund (the entire amount of revenue reduction attributable to this bill would be offset by a general fund appropriation).

 

Based upon FY 2022 road toll gallons, the Department of Safety estimates the annual transfer from the general fund to the highway fund would be approximately $34 million, beginning in FY 2024:

 

Annual Amount (Beginning FY 2024)

Total FY 2022 Motor Fuel Gallons

              810,629,408

Proposed Reduction in Road Toll Rate

$0.042

Estimated Reduction in Highway Fund Revenue / Transfer from the General Fund

$34,046,435

 

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Safety and Department of Transportation