IRON MOUNTAIN — Legislation that could loosen reporting requirements for loggers transporting products between Michigan and neighboring states has passed the Michigan House, state Rep. Jenn Hill, D-Marquette.

Hill announced successful passage of House Bills 5379 and 5747, which would make it easier for Michigan to form agreements with other states about how commercial vehicles transporting raw forest products are taxed.

Currently, paperwork is sometimes required from interstate carriers under the International Fuel Tax Agreement to report fuel use taxes. If the bills sponsored by Hill become law, that process could be streamlined.

Another revision extends the current air-mile limit on Michigan-Wisconsin fuel tax reciprocity from the current 30 miles to 50 miles. This would correct a technicality that inadvertently excludes a mill in Escanaba, according to the legislation’s backers.

The measures now go to the Michigan Senate.

“This package is not just about reducing red tape for small businesses, it’s about supporting the hardworking loggers of the Upper Peninsula and helping them maximize the efficiency of their business,” Hill said in a news release.

Despite Republican co-sponsorship, a prior vote on the legislation failed in March due to partisan gridlock, Hill said.

The impact of the bills on state revenue would appear to be relatively minor, a House Fiscal Agency analysis stated.