BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SJR 24|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SJR 24
Author: Beall (D)
Introduced:8/2/16
Vote: 21
SUBJECT: Federal transportation funding
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution urges the Congress and the President of the
United States to fully fund the Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program at a level of $525
million in the 2017 fiscal year to provide additional critical
investment in California and elsewhere.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)California's transportation infrastructure is aging and in
serious need of repair with the state facing a $59 billion
shortfall to bring the existing state highway system to a
state of good repair over the next decade and with California
cities and counties facing a $78 billion shortfall in
restoring their own systems over the same period.
2)California motorists spend $17 billion annually in extra
maintenance and car repair bills, more than $700 per driver,
due to the state's poorly maintained roads.
3)Freight transportation is critical to the economic vitality of
the United States and robust investment in safe and efficient
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transportation facilities and infrastructure is essential to
promoting strong economic growth in California and throughout
the nation.
4)California has the most extensive, complex, and interconnected
freight system in the country, including a system of seaports
stretching from the City of Humboldt to the City of San Diego,
six international land ports of entry along the United
States-Mexico border, and a vast network of freight rail lines
and truck routes which enable the state to serve as the
nation's gateway to international trade.
5)California's freight system is responsible for the creation of
800,000 freight jobs and stimulates the creation of millions
of other jobs throughout the economy.
6)Expansion of public transportation is a key element of
California's strategy to improve mobility while meeting
critical greenhouse gas reduction targets, yet the California
Transit Association reports that the state's public transit
agencies face a 10-year $72 billion capital and operating
shortfall.
7)In December 2015, the United States Congress passed, and
President Barack Obama signed, the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation Act (FAST Act), which represents the first
long-term federal transportation bill in more than a decade,
and The FAST Act provides California and other states with
long-term certainty and stability in financing transportation
projects by providing marginal increases in most existing
highway and transit programs, as well as $2.1 billion annually
in new freight investment.
This resolution:
1)Commends Congress and the President of the United States for
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enacting the FAST Act to provide stability and reliability in
federal transportation funding over the next five years.
2)Urges Congress and the President to fully fund the
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
program at a level of $525 million in the 2017 fiscal year to
provide additional critical transportation investment in
California and elsewhere.
3)Urges Congress and the President to work together to finally
find a long-term, sustainable funding solution to restore the
lost purchasing power of the federal fuel excise tax, and
provide California and the rest of the country with the
resources needed to rebuild its infrastructure, invest in its
people through good, well-paying jobs, and restore our
economy.
Background
Since 2009, the TIGER grant program has provided a combined $5.1
billion to 421 projects in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and tribal
communities. These federal funds leverage money from private
sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan
planning organizations and transit agencies. The 2016 TIGER
round alone is leveraging nearly $500 million in federal
investment to support $1.74 billion in overall transportation
investments.
Demand for the 2016 TIGER grant program continued to far exceed
available funds; the DOT received 585 eligible applications from
all 50 States, and several U.S. territories, tribal communities,
cities, and towns throughout the United States, collectively
requesting over $9.3 billion in funding. During the previous
seven rounds, the Department received more than 7,300
applications requesting more than $143 billion for
transportation projects across the country.
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FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified8/9/16)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/9/16)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author:
This bill would encourage Congress to fully fund the
Transportation Investment Generating Economy Recovery
(TIGER) program at a level of $525 million in the 2017
fiscal year.
This is a long term sustainable funding solution that
will provide additional critical transportation
investment in California and elsewhere, restore the
lost purchasing power of the federal fuel excise tax,
provide California and the rest of the country with
resources to rebuild its infrastructure, invest in
its people through good, well-paying jobs, and help
robustly restore our economy.
Prepared by: Jonas Austin / SFA / (916) 651-1520
8/10/16 15:34:54
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