NFIB Illinois urged lawmakers to remove a vehicle-mileage-tax pilot program from a larger public-transit reform bill.

The Illinois General Assembly is weighing a number of reforms to the Chicago-area public-transit systems. On April 22, the House Transportation Committee held a subject-matter hearing on one of them, HB 2963.

HB 2963 includes a proposed “Illinois Road Usage Charge Act,” which, if passed into law, would create a vehicle-mileage-tax pilot program.

NFIB Illinois submitted testimony to the committee calling for the removal of the “Illinois Road Usage Charge Act” from the transit-reform legislation due to concerns that a vehicle-mileage tax could lead to greater administrative and tax burdens on Illinois’ small-business community.

HB 2963 is currently in the House Rules Committee while lawmakers continue to gather information, debate, and negotiate any future transit-reform legislation.