SJR 24, as introduced, DeSaulnier. Federal Highway Trust Fund.
This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to stabilize the federal Highway Trust Fund by developing a long-term plan to promote adequate federal Highway Trust Fund revenues, as specified.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, A safe, efficient, and reliable surface transportation
2network is vital to California’s future economic growth, quality
3of life, and security; and
4WHEREAS, Inadequate investment in California’s highway
5and bridge infrastructure system is having a dramatic impact on
6the citizens of California, causing them to spend too much time
7idling on increasingly congested roads and bridges rather than with
8their families; and
9WHEREAS, The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
10Act (MAP-21), that authorized the federal highway and public
11transportation programs, will expire September 30, 2014; and
12WHEREAS, The federal Highway Trust Fund and its user
13fee-based revenue stream supports all federal investment in
14highway and bridge improvements and the vast majority of the
15federal public transportation program; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The federal Highway Trust Fund experienced
2revenue shortfalls in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 that created
3uncertainty about federal surface transportation investment
4commitments; and
5WHEREAS, The United States Department of Transportation
6will begin slowing reimbursements to states for already approved
7federal-aid projects as early as July of this year to preserve a
8positive balance in the federal Highway Trust Fund; and
9WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office reports the
10federal Highway Trust Fund will be unable to support any new
11highway or public transportation spending in the 2015 fiscal year
12absent congressional action to increase trust fund revenues; and
13WHEREAS, Eliminating federal highway and public
14transportation investment in one year would threaten hundreds of
15thousands of jobs nationwide and severely disrupt California’s
16long-term transportation improvement plans; now, therefore, be
17it
18Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
19California, jointly, That the Legislature urges timely action by the
20President and the Congress of the United States to stabilize the
21federal Highway Trust Fund by developing a long-term plan to
22promote adequate federal Highway Trust Fund revenues that
23achieves all of the following:
24(a) Continues an appropriate role for the federal government in
25sustaining a viable national transportation system.
26(b) Contributes to deficit reductions and economic growth.
27(c) Ensures the integrity of the surface transportation program
28and resists funding diversions that have been harmful to public
29support.
30(d) Allows the Congress to pass a reauthorization of the federal
31highway and public transportation programs before MAP-21
32expires; and be it further
33Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
34this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
35States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority
36Leader of the Senate, each Senator and Representative from
37California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author
38for appropriate distribution.
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