House Bill HB 2875 & Senate Bill SB 6613
Summary of Legislation:
- Creates Legislative Task Force with broad public and private representation to develop a Statewide Infrastructure Investment Strategy.
- Evaluate existing infrastructure funding programs.
- Restructure and establish appropriate criteria for infrastructure funding programs to meet goals for accommodating growth and economic development.
- Identify sufficient funding for infrastructure projects that increase capacity necessary to accommodate growth and build better communities.
Background:
Infrastructure is an important investment in the growth of society, the economy, and our quality of life, and is necessary for the development of housing to accommodate growth. The state invests in infrastructure by partnering with local governments through funding assistance programs and by appropriating funds through the state Capital and Transportation Budgets. Historically, state infrastructure funding programs were developed to forward state policy priorities. As new priorities arose, Capital and Transportation Budget appropriations have expanded beyond our capacity to pay for all the needs. State assistance programs have been added resulting in a vast array of inadequately funded and uncoordinated programs that do not sufficiently address our infrastructure policy priorities, especially the priority to fund infrastructure needed to accommodate growth.
Analysis:
- To ensure efficient use of limited financial resources, an infrastructure investment strategy is needed to prioritize revenues and align funding programs to meet our greatest needs and policy priorities.
- State policy goals for infrastructure investments should be identified and strategies in place that will help us meet those goals.
- Based on the identified strategies, the state should restructure local government infrastructure assistance programs to prioritize infrastructure essential to achieve policy priorities of state and local government.
- Statewide infrastructure investment strategies are needed for the state Capital and Transportation Budgets.
- Increase infrastructure financing to provide the essential framework needed to accommodate residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
Section Provisions:
Sec. 1. NEW SECTION Legislative Findings
Legislative findings that it is in the state’s interest to increase infrastructure funding to promote economic development and housing to accommodate job growth and to protect public health and safety.
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION Infrastructure Funding Task Force and Purpose
Establishes Legislative Task Force on Public Infrastructure Programs and Funding Sources. Directs the task force to formulate infrastructure funding priorities; evaluate existing programs; recommend restructuring programs to achieve goals; identify minimum public facilities needed to accommodate growth; develop statewide infrastructure strategy; identify sufficient funding to meet needs.
Sec. 3. NEW SECTION Committee membership
Establishes committee membership of legislators and representatives of public and private industry.
Sec. 4. NEW SECTION Recommendations and Sunset
Sunsets task force by August 31, 2008 with final recommendations due by October 2008.
Update: This legislation never made it out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee or the House Captial Budget Committee before the session ended.
