Deal signs transportation bill to provide roughly $1 billion for Georgia projects

Road work on Interstate 75 heading into Atlanta.Road work on Interstate 75 heading into Atlanta.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed into law HB 170, a bill designed to draw approximately $1 billion for transportation and infrastructure projects across the state via a combination of a tax increases and vehicle fees.

“This investment reflects our modern-day population and current infrastructure usage,” Deal said at the signing ceremony. “Today, we are ensuring that Georgia’s economic engine will remain running for generations to come. I commend the courage of the General Assembly for tackling this issue head-on and prioritizing public safety and future growth over politics.”

The law outlines the excise tax on diesel fuel charged to distributors go to 29 cents per gallon, and the excise tax on other motor fuels increasing to 26 cents per gallon. Other tax changes include revisions to state sales and use taxes for certain motor fuel sales as well as revisions on tax exemptions on jet fuel.

Also added is a $5-per-night fee on hotel stays across the state, a $200 annual fee for individual-driven electric vehicles, a $300 annual fee for commercial electric vehicles and a heavy truck annual fee of up to $100 dollars. These fees go into effect July 1 this year.

Full HB 170 details are available here.

“I appreciate Governor Deal’s steadfast leadership on this important issue,” said Rep. Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla), co-chairman of the Joint Study Committee on Critical Infrastructure Funding. The committee created the recommendations from which the bill was crafted.

“My colleagues in the General Assembly took courageous action to move transportation forward in Georgia. We now have a sustainable and reliable revenue source that will allow our state to prioritize the necessary maintenance, improvements and growth of our transportation infrastructure.”