Congress blocks federal spending on mileage-tracking tax systems
H.R. 781 — No Track No Tax Act of 2025 · Filed by Darrell Issa (R-CA) · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits the federal government from spending any money to study, propose, create, run, or enforce mileage taxes—taxes based on how many miles a vehicle travels—at any level of government. It also blocks federal funding for mileage tracking programs that would support such taxes. The bill prevents federal agencies from using taxpayer money to develop or implement this type of tax system.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward appropriations restriction—it bars federal funds from flowing toward mileage tax study, design, or enforcement. It is not a tax cut, subsidy, or deregulation; it is a prohibition on a specific category of federal spending.
What the text implies
- Does not prevent states or localities from funding mileage tax systems independently, so the practical effect depends on state-level political will and funding availability.
- Blocks federal research into mileage-based road-user fees, which some transportation experts view as a potential long-term replacement for fuel taxes as vehicles become more efficient; the prohibition may slow policy innovation in transportation funding.
- Does not restrict private-sector research or pilot programs on mileage tracking; only federal funding is blocked.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Citizens gain protection from federal spending on a tax mechanism many view as invasive (mileage tracking), but the bill does not prevent states or localities from implementing mileage taxes independently. The civic benefit (blocking federal funding for a surveillance-adjacent tax system) is real but narrow; the practical impact depends on whether states would pursue mileage taxes without federal support.
Named in the bill
Federal government, State governments, Local governments
Where it stands
- Jan 28, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 28, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and House Committee on Ways and Means · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period…”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (390 characters) on Sep 18, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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