Sets the allocation to RIPTA at the greater of $0.1175 per gallon or 29.375% of total proceeds, with $0.005 per gallon derived from the $0.01 per gallon environmental protection fee.

Rhode Island Gas Tax & Public Transit Funding Bill

This bill deals with how money collected from Rhode Island's gasoline tax gets divided up and sent to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), which runs the state's bus system. Currently, a portion of every gallon of gas sold in Rhode Island goes to fund public transportation. This bill would set RIPTA's share at whichever amount is larger: either 11.75 cents per gallon of gas sold, or 29.375% of the total gas tax revenue collected. The idea is to guarantee RIPTA receives at least a minimum amount, while also allowing it to benefit if overall gas tax revenues grow.

The bill also specifies that half a cent ($.005) of every gallon would come from an existing environmental protection fee that is already charged at one cent per gallon. This means a portion of the environmental fee — money collected specifically because of the environmental impact of burning fuel — would be directed toward funding public transit, which is generally seen as a more environmentally friendly transportation option.

The people most directly affected are RIPTA riders — typically lower-income residents, seniors, students, and people without access to a car — since the funding level impacts the quality and availability of bus service. Drivers are already paying the gas tax, so this bill doesn't create a new charge; it simply changes how existing tax money is distributed. RIPTA itself would have more predictable and potentially increased funding under this formula. The bill has been introduced and sent to the House Finance Committee for further review.