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2015 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Transportation
Subcommittee Funding

Watkins, Wagner, Deeds, Colgan, Newman

Clerk: Maribeth Turner
Staff: Nicole Brenner
Date of Meeting: February 12, 2015
Time and Place: 1/2 Hour after adjournment of Senate / 4th Floor East Conf. Room
UPDATED

H.B. 1886 Public-Private Transportation Act; establishes requirement for finding of public interest.

Patron: Jones

Public-Private Transportation Act; finding of public interest. Establishes the requirements for a finding of public interest, requires such a finding prior to an initiation of procurement, and establishes the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Advisory Committee to determine whether a proposal for the operation and development of a transportation facility serves a public purpose and report such determination to the General Assembly. The bill also requires certification of the finding prior to the execution of a comprehensive agreement and requires the public-private partnership guidelines to incorporate the finding. The bill also requires VDOT to establish (i) a process for identifying high-risk projects and (ii) procurement processes and guidelines for such projects to ensure that the public interest is protected.

 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 33.2-1803 and 33.2-1820 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 33.2-1803.1 and 33.2-1803.2, relating to the Public-Private Transportation Act; finding of public interest.

15103884D

H.B. 1887 Transportation; funding, formula, updates annual reporting, and allocations.

Patron: Jones

Transportation funding; formula, reporting, and allocations. Removes the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) and makes the members of the CTB subject to removal by the Governor for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, misconduct, neglect of duty, absenteeism, conflicts of interest, failure to carry out the policies of the Commonwealth, or refusal to carry out a lawful directive of the Governor. Both provisions would become effective July 1, 2016.

The bill updates the annual report of the Commissioner of Highways made to the Governor and the General Assembly and adds that such report be submitted to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the CTB. The report must include the condition of existing transportation assets; the methodology used to determine maintenance and state of good repair needs; performance targets and outcomes; a listing of prioritized pavement and bridge projects based on the priority ranking system; VDOT strategies for improving the safety, security, and operations of highways; and a review of the VDOT's collaboration with the private sector in delivering services.

The bill adds to transportation funding considerations the state of good repair purposes along with asset management practices and maintenance and requires the CTB to develop a priority ranking system for structurally deficient bridges and deteriorated pavements.

The bill establishes the high-priority projects program and the highway construction district grant program and replaces the $500 million annual allocation made by the CTB and the 40-30-30 allocation formula to the primary, secondary, and urban highways with a new 40-30-30 allocation of funds to state of good repair purposes, high-priority projects, and highway construction district grants.

The bill also reallocates the interest, dividends, and appreciation that currently accrue to the Transportation Trust Fund and Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund: two-thirds of such current accruals to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank and one-third of such accruals to the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund. The bill also removes the definition of "grant" from the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank and excludes grants from other financing, thereby removing the ability of a governmental entity to apply for a grant. The bill also allows the CTB to make transfers from the Toll Facilities Revolving Account to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

Further, the bill authorizes the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to enter into agreements not to exceed 20 years under the Public-Private Transportation Act to improve passenger rail service with private entities that finance improvements in return for annual payments.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 33.2-200, 33.2-232, 33.2-352, 33.2-357, 33.2-359, 33.2-1501, 33.2-1502, 33.2-1503, 33.2-1505, 33.2-1529, 33.2-1530, 58.1-815.4, 58.1-1741, and 58.1-2289 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 33.2-358.1, 33.2-369, 33.2-370, and 33.2-371 and by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 15 a section numbered 33.2-1529.1; and to repeal Article 2 (§ 33.2-1508) of Chapter 15 of Title 33.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Commonwealth Transportation Board and transportation funding.

15104043D