Current Status Bill Number:4869 Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution CR Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19980324 Primary Sponsor:H. Brown All Sponsors:H. Brown and Townsend Drafted Document Number:ggs\22043cm.98 Residing Body:House Current Committee:Invitations and Memorial Resolutions Committee 24 HIMR Subject:Federal Highway Program, Congress requests to reauthorize; Federal Government, Highways and Streets
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19980324 Introduced, referred to Committee 24 HIMRView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO MEMORIALIZE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO REAUTHORIZE THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM BY MAY 1, 1998, AND TO FUND THE PROGRAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT THE USER-FINANCED HIGHWAY TRUST FUND CAN SUPPORT.
Whereas, a safe and efficient highway system is essential to the nation's domestic productivity, international competitiveness, and is vital to our quality of life; and
Whereas, the State of South Carolina has critical highway investment needs that cannot be addressed with current federal resources; and
Whereas, the Federal Highway Administration rates 5,872 miles of South Carolina's most important roads in either poor or mediocre condition and judges 22 percent of our bridges to be deficient; and
Whereas, the current level of federal funding for the nation's highway system is inadequate to meet rehabilitation needs, to protect the safety of the traveling public, to begin solving congestion and rural access problems, to conduct adequate transportation research, and to keep the United States competitive in a global economy; and
Whereas, the Federal Highway Program is financed by dedicated user fees collected from motorists to improve the highway system and deposited in the Federal Highway Trust Fund; and
Whereas, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 transferred all federal motor fuel taxes into the Federal Highway Trust Fund, but provided no mechanism to ensure that the funds are spent; and
Whereas, the 1998 congressional budget would constrain federal highway spending well below the level of highway tax receipts, allowing the Federal Highway Trust Fund's cash balance to grow from just over 22 billion dollars to more than 70 billion dollars by the year 2003; and
Whereas, South Carolina and other states will be prohibited from obligating any federal highway funds after April 30, 1998, unless Congress and the President enact new highway legislation by that date; and
Whereas, without federal highway funds, many states will be forced to delay life-saving improvements, congestion relief projects, and other road and bridge improvements. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that the United States Congress and President of the United States are urged to enact legislation to reauthorize the Federal Highway Program by May 1, 1998, and to fund the Federal Highway Program at the highest level that the user-financed Highway Trust Fund can support.
Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States and to each member of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.