Bill Text: VA HJR107 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Transportation; JLARC to study the state of systems and funding.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-11 - Left in Rules [HJR107 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR107-Prefiled.html
WHEREAS, the General Assembly has entrusted various transportation agencies and entities, including the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Secretary of Transportation, Department of Transportation, Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and various local and regional transportation authorities and commissions, with the authority to attend to the transportation needs of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Virginia has diverse transportation needs and transportation facilities, such as the Metro in Northern Virginia, the Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads, highways traversing the mountainous regions of Southwest Virginia, and intercity rail throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, between fiscal years 2016 and 2018, vehicle miles traveled in the Commonwealth increased 3.2 percent and gas tax revenue decreased 0.4 percent and one factor in such shifts is the increase in the number of vehicles with noncombustion engines or more fuel-efficient combustion engines; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, of its total operating funds of $115.9 billion, the Commonwealth spent 12.5 percent on transportation; and
WHEREAS, due to the substantial investments that the Commonwealth has made in transportation, and the various entities that have the authority to administer such investments, there is a need for an independent review of the current state of the transportation systems in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly retains oversight authority over the transportation entities in the Commonwealth through the legislative process; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to study the state of the transportation systems and transportation funding in the Commonwealth.
In conducting its study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall, in conjunction with the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, review (i) the state of the highways and transportation infrastructure in the Commonwealth; (ii) funding sources used by transportation entities in the Commonwealth and the metrics used by such entities to prioritize and select projects for funding; (iii) challenges facing transportation facilities and infrastructure, particularly the Port of Virginia, Interstate 81, and Interstate 95, due to increased activity and use and potential solutions for such challenges; (iv) the impact of the increase in the number of vehicles with noncombustion engines or more fuel-efficient combustion engines on transportation funding and alternatives to ensure that the owners and operators of such vehicles are contributing a fair share to transportation funding in the Commonwealth; and (v) the preparedness of the transportation entities in the Commonwealth to adapt to changes within the transportation landscape due to advances in technology.
All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission for this study, upon request.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2020, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the Commission intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
