Act Now: Support HB 1826 for Bicycle Commuting Tax
Credits

The Washigton Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and
the Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) urge all
Virginia cyclists to support HB 1826 which is now
before the Virginia General Assembly. HB 1826 would
promote bicycle commuting by encouraging employers to
provide bicycle commuting accommodations at the
workplace and by offering a modest income tax credit
of $15/month for employees who commute by bicycle on
10 or more days per month.

HB 1826 proposes two different types of income tax
credit for expenditures related to bicycle commuting:

1) an employer tax credit up to $5,000 for
expenditures to provide employee bicycle parking racks
and/or showers at the worksite and

2) an employee tax
credit of $15 per month for commuting by bicycle at
least ten days in any given month.

WABA and VBF strongly support both proposed tax credits,
but we have suggested expanding the employer credit to include
rented as well as purchased facilities, to include all
types of suitable bicycle parking facilities (not just
racks), and to include employee clothes changing and
storage facilities as well as employee showers.

The bill has been referred to the House of Delegates
Finance Committee and will reportedly be heard by
Finance Subcommittee #3 on Wednesday, Jan. 24 and by
the full Finance Committee as early as Monday, Jan.
29. A favorable fiscal impact statement has already
been issued by the Virginia Department of Taxation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1) Ask your Virginia delegate to co-patron HB 1826
before the bill is heard by the full House Finance
Committee. You can identify and contact your delegate
from:
[http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform]
.

2) Ask your delegate to vote for HB 1826 at every
opportunity. If your delegate (or a nearby delegate)
is on the House Finance Committee
[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+com+H10]

and/or on Finance Subcommittee #3
[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+sub+H10003],
ask them NOW to vote for HB 1826 when it comes before
Subcommittee #1 (on Jan. 24) and the full House
Finance Committee (possibly on Jan. 29).

LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION:

HB 1826 bill history:
[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+sum+HB1826]

HB 1826 text as introduced:
[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+ful+HB1826]