The new $325 billion highway bill introduced to the House, would require states to approve legislation prior to participating in a federal pilot program.
Tolling supporters want Congress to make it easier for states to add tolls as federal transportation funding has been depleted.
Present law requires states to construct new lanes on highways that they want to add tolls to unless they are granted an exemption, which has been limited to, Virginia, Missouri and North Carolina.
The pilot program was created in 1998 transportation funding bill that was approved by Congress, but has been limited to the three states that have not moved forward with a tolling expansion.
The transportation bill that was approved by the Senate in July would not expand the number of states that can participate in the pilot, but it would make it easier for other states to join the program if the test states decide not to go forward with a tolling expansion.
"With limited federal revenues available to support our nation’s infrastructure, it only makes sense to give states the ability to choose the best way to pay for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the vital Interstate System within their borders," International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) President Executive Director Patrick Jones said in a statement when the Senate highway bill was introduced in July.
