Ohio lawmakers are considering a 90-day suspension of the state gasoline and diesel taxes, but the relief is not yet in effect and the introduced plan would replace roughly $726 million in transportation revenue with money from the state’s general fund.
Senate Bill 475, sponsored by Republican Sens. Michele Reynolds and Jane Timken, was introduced September 28 and entered committee hearings this week. The official bill record describes an emergency measure that would temporarily reduce motor-fuel taxes, require itemized fuel receipts and appropriate money to offset the revenue loss. The legislature’s vote page showed no recorded votes as of Wednesday afternoon.
A matching proposal, House Bill 1019, was also introduced September 28. Neither chamber’s official record showed final passage Wednesday afternoon, so the existing taxes and pump-price structure remain in place.
What drivers could save
Ohio currently levies 38.5 cents per gallon on gasoline and 47 cents per gallon on diesel. During the first hearing, Reynolds estimated that eliminating the gasoline tax would save $7.70 on a 20-gallon fill-up, according to Ohio Capital Journal’s hearing report. A driver buying 20 gallons weekly for 12 weeks would save about $92.40 if the full gasoline-tax reduction reached the pump for the entire proposed period. The equivalent diesel-tax amount would be $9.40 per 20 gallons.
The proposal does not simply remove money from road accounts. WOSU reported that SB 475 and its House companion would transfer about $726 million from the General Revenue Fund to cover the transportation-funding gap. That is a change from the initial public discussion of using Ohio Department of Transportation cash. Gov. Mike DeWine opposed drawing from ODOT balances, which are committed to projects, according to the hearing coverage.
The bill still faces unresolved questions
The Senate General Government Committee’s official activity page lists testimony from business groups, AARP Ohio, regional planners, county engineers, retailers and contractors. That breadth reflects the tradeoff: motorists would receive temporary savings, while lawmakers must decide whether the general fund should absorb the cost and how retailers should document the temporary price adjustment.
Because the bill contains an emergency clause, supporters are seeking an accelerated effective date. But emergency legislation requires a supermajority, and committee debate showed skepticism from Democratic senators over the cost, timing and likely household benefit.
For Ohio residents, the immediate takeaway is procedural: the tax rates remain unchanged unless both legislative chambers pass the measure and it becomes law. Drivers should not assume a lower pump price or alter travel plans until the official status page records final action.
