May 2, 2025

By Lane Kimble

The federal Highway Trust Fund could get its most significant shot in the arm in recent history if newly approved legislation becomes law,

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted Wednesday to pass a reconciliation budget package that includes boosted registration fees on electric and hybrid vehicles, ARTBA reports.

The legislation would collect $250 per EV registration and $100 per hybrid registration on top of what states already collect for their own coffers.  Registration would not increase on traditional gas-powered vehicles, despite an initial suggestion for $20 increases on those cars and trucks.

The motion passed with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats on the committee voting against.

The funding would provide the Highway Trust Fund, which provides billions of dollars to states for road and infrastructure projects each year, with its first user-fee revenue increase in more than 20 years.

The deal is far from finished, however, with the T&I Committee’s package needing to be reconciled into other committees’ bills and signed by President Trump.  That could happen in late spring or early summer, ARTBA says.