| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to motor fuel efficiency incentives; |
| 3 | amending s. 212.08, F.S.; providing a partial tax |
| 4 | exemption for certain motor vehicles; amending s. |
| 5 | 316.0741, F.S.; providing for certain motor vehicles to be |
| 6 | allowed to occupy the high occupancy vehicle lane |
| 7 | regardless of the number of occupants; providing an |
| 8 | effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Subsection (18) is added to section 212.08, |
| 13 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 14 | 212.08 Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution, and |
| 15 | storage tax; specified exemptions.--The sale at retail, the |
| 16 | rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and the |
| 17 | storage to be used or consumed in this state of the following |
| 18 | are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed by this |
| 19 | chapter. |
| 20 | (18) PARTIAL EXEMPTION; HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLES.--Hybrid |
| 21 | motor vehicles eligible for tax credits under the federal Energy |
| 22 | Policy Act of 2005 are exempt from the first $500 of tax imposed |
| 23 | by this chapter. |
| 24 | Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 316.0741, Florida |
| 25 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 26 | 316.0741 High occupancy vehicle lanes.-- |
| 27 | (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, |
| 28 | an inherently low-emission vehicle (ILEV) that is certified and |
| 29 | labeled in accordance with federal regulations may be driven in |
| 30 | an HOV lane at any time, regardless of its occupancy. In |
| 31 | addition, upon the state's receipt of written notice from the |
| 32 | proper federal regulatory agency authorizing such use, a vehicle |
| 33 | defined as a hybrid vehicle under this section may be driven in |
| 34 | an HOV lane at any time, regardless of its occupancy. The |
| 35 | department shall issue a decal and registration certificate, to |
| 36 | be renewed annually, reflecting the HOV lane designation on such |
| 37 | vehicles authorizing such use. The department may charge a fee |
| 38 | for a decal, not to exceed the costs of designing, producing, |
| 39 | and distributing each decal, or $5, whichever is less. The |
| 40 | proceeds from sale of the decals shall be deposited in the |
| 41 | Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund. The department shall add to |
| 42 | the list of vehicles eligible to travel in HOV lanes any vehicle |
| 43 | with a federal Environmental Protection Agency highway rating of |
| 44 | more than 40 miles per gallon but may remove some or all of such |
| 45 | vehicles from the list if, in the department's discretion, |
| 46 | congestion results in defeating the goal of greater fuel |
| 47 | economy. Under such circumstances, the department shall remove |
| 48 | from the list the most fuel economical vehicles last. |
| 49 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |