Senate Bill sb0034B

    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 34-B

    By Senator Campbell





    32-843-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to motor fuel efficiency

  3         incentives; amending s. 212.08, F.S.; providing

  4         a partial tax exemption for certain motor

  5         vehicles; amending s. 316.0741, F.S.; providing

  6         for certain motor vehicles to be allowed to

  7         occupy the high occupancy vehicle lane

  8         regardless of the number of occupants;

  9         providing an effective date.

10  

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12  

13         Section 1.  Subsection (18) is added to section 212.08,

14  Florida Statutes, to read:

15         212.08  Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution,

16  and storage tax; specified exemptions.--The sale at retail,

17  the rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and

18  the storage to be used or consumed in this state of the

19  following are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed

20  by this chapter.

21         (18)  PARTIAL EXEMPTION; HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLES.--Hybrid

22  motor vehicles eligible for tax credits under the federal

23  Energy Policy Act of 2005 are exempt from the first $500 of

24  tax imposed by this chapter.

25         Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 316.0741, Florida

26  Statutes, is amended to read:

27         316.0741  High occupancy vehicle lanes.--

28         (4)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this

29  section, an inherently low-emission vehicle (ILEV) that is

30  certified and labeled in accordance with federal regulations

31  may be driven in an HOV lane at any time, regardless of its

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 34-B
    32-843-06




 1  occupancy. In addition, upon the state's receipt of written

 2  notice from the proper federal regulatory agency authorizing

 3  such use, a vehicle defined as a hybrid vehicle under this

 4  section may be driven in an HOV lane at any time, regardless

 5  of its occupancy. The department shall issue a decal and

 6  registration certificate, to be renewed annually, reflecting

 7  the HOV lane designation on such vehicles authorizing such

 8  use. The department may charge a fee for a decal, not to

 9  exceed the costs of designing, producing, and distributing

10  each decal, or $5, whichever is less. The proceeds from sale

11  of the decals shall be deposited in the Highway Safety

12  Operating Trust Fund. The department shall add to the list of

13  vehicles eligible to travel in HOV lanes any vehicle with a

14  federal Environmental Protection Agency highway rating of more

15  than 40 miles per gallon but may remove some or all of such

16  vehicles from the list if, in the department's discretion,

17  congestion results in defeating the goal of greater fuel

18  economy. Under such circumstances, the department shall remove

19  from the list the most fuel economical vehicles last.

20         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

21  law.

22  

23            *****************************************

24                          SENATE SUMMARY

25    Provides a sales-tax exemption of $500 for the purchase
      of a hybrid motor vehicle. Provides for a motor vehicle
26    having a fuel-efficency rating of greater than 40 miles
      per gallon to occupy the high occupancy vehicle lane
27    regardless of the number of occupants in the vehicle.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.