New York state Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni on Monday introduced legislation that would provide fuel tax exemptions for operators of commercial fishing vessels amid spiking gas prices brought on by the war in Iran.
The Democratic lawmaker from Long Island said the bill would seek parity for the fuel tax exemption among the agricultural and commercial fishing industries. Schiavoni said commercial fisherman, unlike farmers, must front the entire cost of filling up with their vessel with diesel fuel and then file with the Department of Taxation for a refund. Fishermen each purchase up to 10,000 gallons of gas over the course of a year, forcing fishermen to pay thousands of dollars just to travel to and from the fishing grounds.
Currently, fishermen can get relief only from sale and use tax when buying fuel if they claim a refund with the Department of Taxation, though Schiavoni said that refund process can take months to process. This legislation would let them seek immediate and additional relief by applying for a state tax exemption certificate, which is available to farmers currently.
“Among many other factors, the amount of fuel tax spent by commercial fishermen in New York forces many fishermen to do business in other states where diesel and supplies cost less, ultimately taking away from Long Island’s blue economy,” Schiavoni said in a statement. “The affordability crisis is hitting hard for everyone, and while the Administration wages a war in the Middle East, fuel prices continue to rise, forcing fishermen to pay even more than they should just to go to work.”
This is the latest effort by state lawmakers to provide relief at the pump. State senators last week asked Gov. Kathy Hochul to support a gas and diesel tax holiday to lower costs much like they did in 2022 but the governor has appeared unreceptive to that particular request.