TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Last week, federal lawmakers considered a new bill that could impose an annual, nationwide vehicle tax.
And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis weighed in over the weekend to make his thoughts known.
That bill — HR 8870 — is dubbed the “BUILD America 250 Act,” and it was originally filed by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) earlier this month.
HOW IT WORKS
HR 8870 includes a provision that imposes a $130 annual registration fee for a covered electric vehicle; as well as a $35 fee for covered plug-in hybrid vehicles.
According to the text, the bill’s effective date is Oct. 1 if it ends up becoming law.
But starting in 2029, the fees must increase by $5 every two years until they reach a cap of $150 and $50, respectively.
Furthermore, the proposal calls for state DMVs (handled in Florida by the FLHSMV) to collect these fees as part of the vehicle registration and renewal process.
States that fail to comply with these rules could lose out on 125% of funding otherwise due to them.
DESANTIS WEIGHS IN
After the bill’s introduction, DeSantis posted on social media, saying that the DMV provision would be unconstitutional.
He also claimed that the tax listed in the bill could potentially be extended to even gas-powered vehicles.
“No national car tax!” he wrote.
Commandeering state DMVs into federal tax collectors is not constitutional.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 24, 2026
The proposed tax is bad on its own, but this aspect is an attempt at usurping state sovereignty.
And, yes, the tax would be extended to all cars in no time. Just say no! https://t.co/pe8vkvzov7
It’s not the first time that federal lawmakers have tried to push through this sort of car tax, either. Last year, an early draft of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” required even higher fees for electric and hybrid vehicles.
In response, a group of lawmakers issued a letter that in part called for these provisions to be cut, which they ultimately were in the final draft.
“While we did stop a national registration tax on gas vehicles, the House OBBB implements one on EV & Hybrid vehicles,” the letter reads. “Republicans should not create a new car tax, but at minimum, it should NOT apply to hybrids (increasingly owned by Americans.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
While HR 8870 was originally introduced in the House of Representatives on May 19, it was ordered to be amended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure by a 62-2 vote on May 22.
However, the bill’s text has yet to be updated online as of the time of writing, so it remains to be seen whether the changes will have anything to do with the proposed car tax.
For the latest available information on the bill’s status, click here.