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Read. Follow. Verify.Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2023
Last action · March 8, 2023: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.Sponsor: Todd Young
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes the repeal of the 12-percent federal retail currently applied to the purchase of new heavy-duty trucks, tractors, and trailers. The legislation aims to lower the cost of new vehicles to encourage the replacement of older, less fuel-efficient, and less environmentally friendly trucks.
If passed, this bill would reduce the purchase price of new heavy-duty trucks by $12,000 to $22,000, potentially accelerating the adoption of newer, cleaner, and safer vehicle technology across the trucking industry.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Trucking and logistics companies
These companies would face lower upfront capital costs when purchasing new heavy-duty vehicles.
Heavy-duty truck manufacturers
Manufacturers may see changes in demand for new vehicles due to the reduction in retail price.
Highway Trust Fund administrators
The fund would lose a specific stream of tax revenue, necessitating a search for alternative funding sources.
Key Facts
- The bill repeals the 12-percent federal retail excise tax on new heavy trucks, tractors, and trailers.
- The tax repeal applies to all sales and installations occurring on or after March 8, 2023.
- The 12-percent tax currently adds between $12,000 and $22,000 to the cost of a new heavy vehicle.
- The bill includes technical amendments to the Internal Revenue Code to remove references to the repealed tax.
Show all 8 facts
- The bill clarifies the definition of 'tires of the type used on highway vehicles' and provides an exception for mobile machinery.
- The legislation aims to address the fact that nearly half of Class 8 trucks on U.S. roads are over 10 years old.
- The bill notes that the excise tax disproportionately impacts the cost of electric and alternative-fueled trucks.
- The bill suggests that Congress should identify a more reliable revenue source for the Highway Trust Fund to replace the lost excise tax revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much would this save on a new truck purchase?
Why is this tax being repealed?
Does this affect the Highway Trust Fund?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift in Environmental Policy
The bill explicitly links the repeal of a long-standing tax (dating to 1917) to modern environmental goals, specifically the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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