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1996 SESSION

968061432
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 160
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Rules
on February 10, 1996)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Robinson)
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study transportation financing in the Commonwealth.

WHEREAS, a decade has now passed since the recommendations of the Commission on Transportation for the Twenty-First Century were enacted by the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, changes to federal transportation programs since 1986 have completely altered the relationship between the states and the federal government regarding spending on transportation; and

WHEREAS, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) dramatically restructured federally funded transportation programs; and

WHEREAS, in December 1994, the Secretary of Transportation submitted the latest needs assessment which showed $34.7 billion in highway needs and $46.4 billion in overall transportation needs over the next 20 years; and

WHEREAS, it has long been the goal of the Virginia General Assembly that transportation needs be assessed objectively and analytically now and in the future; and

WHEREAS, it is a similarly well-established policy that prudent provisions be made well in advance for funding these needs, and that distinctions must be made between needs, wants, and priorities based on what reasonably can be accomplished while appreciating costs and the need for fiscal responsibility; and

WHEREAS, because of the substantial impact on the users of the transportation and the financial mechanisms established to meet transportation system needs, there is a necessity to project future needs and provide the means to finance large-scale transportation projects; and

WHEREAS, it is acknowledged that the timely movement of people, goods, and services is vital to the economic well-being of the Commonwealth and the ability of its businesses and industries to compete successfully in the global marketplace and that public transportation is an indispensable element of the Commonwealth's transportation systems; and

WHEREAS, just as aviation is essential to the traveling public, movement of cargo, and the economic development of the Commonwealth, Virginia's ports are crucial to the stimulation of commerce, requiring efficient connection to the other transportation systems; and

WHEREAS, the transportation network must be capable of moving people and goods in a reasonable period of time, at a fair cost, and with an appropriate level of safety, while providing choice to travelers and shippers in the marketplace with the least impact on the environment; and

WHEREAS, an outcome of our transportation network should be the development of an integrated and balanced intermodal transportation system among the various modes of transportation; and

WHEREAS, various local and regional transportation taxes diminish the Commonwealth's future options regarding appropriate kinds and levels of transportation taxation, and the appropriate decision-making role for each level of government should be examined; and

WHEREAS, new funding authorities and mechanisms such as state and regional bonds, transportation tax districts, public-private partnerships, and private facilities have made significant interjurisdictional transportation improvements possible in the last decade and provide models to develop additional nontraditional funding mechanisms; and

WHEREAS, ISTEA expires in federal fiscal year 1997 and a new major federal surface transportation authorization is required before October 1, 1997; and

WHEREAS, this new federal legislation likely will include major changes in the funding of highways, highway safety and transit, and greater discretion by states in the use of these funds; and

WHEREAS, significant change is ongoing in the traditional federal support program for aviation, the Airport Improvement Program; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study transportation financing in the Commonwealth. The joint subcommittee shall be composed of 17 members to be appointed as follows: three members each from the House Committees on Appropriations, Finance, and Transportation, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three members each from the Senate Committees on Finance and Transportation, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; the Secretary of Transportation; and the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner shall serve ex officio without vote.

The joint subcommittee shall (i) study and make recommendations regarding the adequacy of the Commonwealth Transportation Trust Fund, the Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund, and other dedicated transportation revenues to meet the Commonwealth's transportation needs and any changes necessary regarding the allocation and distribution of transportation funds; and (ii) analyze the adequacy of immediate and long-term sources of revenues, changes in federal funding and policy, innovative financing, and opportunities to reduce costs without degrading quality standards for maintenance and new construction.

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $15,750.

At its organizational meeting, the joint subcommittee shall determine the staffing responsibilities of the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Division of Legislative Services, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Aviation, and the Virginia Port Authority.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1998 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for processing legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.