In October, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the bipartisan Volunteer Driver Tax Appreciation Act (S. 3020) to support volunteer drivers. This Senate bill mirrors the language in U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber’s House bill (H.R. 7432), which was introduced in April 2023 and co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. This bill would remove the volunteer driver reimbursement rate from legislative jurisdiction and permanently link it to the IRS reimbursement rate, in effect increasing the charitable mileage tax deduction rate for volunteer drivers from $0.14 to $0.655 per mile. The legislation is intended to reduce the financial burden on volunteers helping the people who rely on them for transportation to vital services. MCOTA members endorsed the legislation in May 2022 and continue to support it.
