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2015 SESSION

15102848D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 601
Offered January 14, 2015
Prefiled January 13, 2015
Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the adequacy and equity of funding for transportation programs in the Commonwealth. Report.
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Patron-- Villanueva
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission released a report in 1984 entitled Equity of the Current Provisions for Allocating Highway and Transportation Funds in Virginia summarizing its two-year analysis of the reasonableness, appropriateness, and equity of highway construction allocations; and

WHEREAS, that report recommended changes in the funding that led to a decrease in the percentage of funds allocated to the primary state highway system and an increase in the percentage of funds allocated to urban and secondary highway systems, resulting in the 40-30-30 formula that currently exists; and

WHEREAS, although transportation revenue sources have remained substantially unchanged since that time, the passage of Chapter 766 of the Acts of Assembly in 2013 allows for more funding from those sources to be allocated for transportation needs; therefore, a reassessment of the methods and procedures for allocating highway construction funds is necessary; and

WHEREAS, transportation is an integral component of sustained economic growth in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, that the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to study the adequacy and equity of funding for transportation programs in the Commonwealth.

In conducting its study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall (i) review the current 40-30-30 formula for distribution of funding for highway systems, taking into consideration the comparison of current allocations to the proportions of need; (ii) review the Department of Transportation's highway maintenance budgeting process to ensure adequacy of maintenance funding and reasonable and equitable allocations among the localities it services; (iii) evaluate funding sources and allocations for mass transit, including the effects of the failure of Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act on transportation funding in the Commonwealth; and (iv) review the funding structure of the Transportation Trust Fund (the Fund) and allocations from the Fund.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission by the Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and Department of Aviation. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to JLARC for this study, upon request.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2015, and for the second year by November 30, 2016, and the director shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether JLARC intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.