A Pennsylvania Senate bill targets unpaid Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls.
Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, is behind a push to garnish certain Pennsylvania lottery winnings and state income tax returns of non-paying turnpike users.
Efforts to collect unpaid tolls
Concern at the statehouse about unpaid tolls is not new. In 2016, state lawmakers authorized the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike to partner to suspend motor vehicle registrations of Pennsylvania owners with unpaid tolls and fees exceeding a fixed number or dollar value.
Over the next six years, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reported $11.4 million in tolls and fees associated with more than 23,000 suspended registrations were collected.
In 2022, the legislature lowered the fee threshold that triggers vehicle registration suspensions from $500 to $250.
Other criteria that prompt vehicle-registration suspensions include lowering the number of unpaid Toll By Plate invoices or violations from six to four and extending the look-back period for unpaid invoices or violations from three to five years.
The 3-year-old rule revision was touted to help the state recover unpaid tolls of about 25,000 vehicles.
Targeting the lottery
Boscola said that “despite the steps taken to track down bad actors, who skip out on paying their tolls – we still see millions of dollars in tolls unpaid.”
She highlighted in a bill memo that over a recent 12-month period, the Pennsylvania Turnpike reported a projected $187 million in unbillable and uncollected tolls. The amount was up $10 million from the previous year – and up $15 million from the year prior.
“Unfortunately, the law-abiding turnpike users who continue to pay their tolls trip after trip are being punished by this loss in toll revenue, with continued toll increases,” Boscola wrote. “I find it imperative we step up enforcement and give the turnpike additional tools to go after these offenders.”
Her bill, SB572, includes multiple recommendations offered by the Pennsylvania Auditor General.
Specifically, lottery winnings exceeding $2,500 would be garnished. Taxpayers due a state income tax refund would also have unpaid toll amounts deducted from their refund.
The bill is in the Senate Transportation Committee. LL
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