Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg floated the creation of such a system during his confirmation process as a way to fund an infrastructure bill. The idea was later abandoned by the Biden administration.

The current draft legislation requires Buttigieg and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to provide recommendations to Congress within three years after enactment of the bill, allowing lawmakers to decide then whether to impose a national per-mile tax.

The program would target “passenger motor vehicles, light trucks, and medium- and heavy-duty trucks” and suggest fees that “may vary between vehicle types and weight classes to reflect estimated impacts on infrastructure, safety, congestion, the environment, or other related social impacts.”