House bill would raise weight threshold so more heavier passenger trucks pay local TBD fees

Staff described House Bill 2722 as changing the maximum gross weight of vehicles subject to Transportation Benefit District (TBD) vehicle fees from 6,000 to 10,000 pounds (staff noted stakeholder discussion of an amendment to 9,000 pounds). Mark Madsen estimated the statewide revenue impact at roughly a 3% increase to TBD vehicle-fee receipts (about $1.7 million on 2024 activity), and staff said the change would expand the pool of applicable trucks and buses by roughly 22%.

Representative Julia Reed (prime sponsor) framed the policy as updating an outdated weight threshold so heavier personal-use trucks pay the TBD fee that lighter passenger vehicles pay. "Heavier trucks also use public roads and they do more damage to our roads than lighter smaller passenger vehicles," she said. Municipal officials and local transportation directors testified in favor; John Snyder (city of Spokane) said vehicles between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds have increased in the Spokane area by 13% in five years and that capturing them would add hundreds of thousands of dollars for local street maintenance.

Opposition testimony included Tim Eyman, who used his time to criticize broader fee policy and referenced prior initiatives and court rulings; committee leadership limited off-topic remarks. Representatives asked about whether heavier trucks are primarily work vehicles and whether other fees differently affect heavy vehicles; staff and the sponsor clarified TBD fees are an optional local tool, typically modest (many jurisdictions set $20 per year) and capped by statute at $100.

Ending: The hearing closed after municipal, freight, and civic witnesses testified; the transcript does not record committee action on HB 2722 in the provided excerpt.