Bill Text - SCR2 (2005)

Relative to reauthorization of the Transportation Equity for the 21st Century Act (TEA-21).


Revision: Jan. 21, 2010, midnight

SCR 2 – FINAL VERSION

03/17/05 0561s

2005 SESSION

05-1025

06/03

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2

A RESOLUTION relative to reauthorization of the Transportation Equity for the 21st Century Act (TEA-21).

SPONSORS: Sen. Kenney, Dist 3

COMMITTEE: Transportation and Interstate Cooperation

ANALYSIS

This resolution urges the United States Congress to reauthorize the Transportation Equity for the 21st Century Act.

03/17/05 0561s

05-1025

06/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

A RESOLUTION relative to reauthorization of the Transportation Equity for the 21st Century Act (TEA-21).

Whereas, the state of New Hampshire’s transportation infrastructure is integral to our state’s economic health; and

Whereas, our state’s transportation infrastructure supports the flow of goods and services, the movement of people, and the creation and retention of jobs; and

Whereas, our state’s transportation infrastructure is key to our intermodal system; and

Whereas, residents of the state of New Hampshire are traveling twice as many miles as they did in 1970, and the number of vehicles on the state’s roads has increased by more than 50 percent in that time; and

Whereas, the Transportation Equity for the 21st Century Act (TEA-21) expired on September 30, 2003 and currently is in its fifth continuing resolution, due to expire May 31, 2005; and

Whereas, TEA-21 has strengthened the state’s transportation system in several areas: funding levels and program equity, safety, mobility and system upgrades, new technologies, and environmental protection; and

Whereas, TEA-21 dramatically altered transportation funding mechanisms through the use of “firewalls” for the Highway Trust Fund; and

Whereas, the Highway Trust Fund “firewalls” provided the state of New Hampshire with the opportunity to plan, finance, and implement various transportation projects; and

Whereas, TEA-21 has provided state and local governments funding flexibility to tailor their transportation decisions to meet the needs of their citizens and communities; and

Whereas, it is imperative that any Administration proposal and Congressional legislation reauthorizing TEA-21 maintain the funding mechanism created in TEA-21 that established a direct link between fuel taxes collected at the pump and federal spending on highway, transit, and other TEA-21 projects; and

Whereas, it is imperative that legislation reauthorizing TEA-21 increase overall federal funding for this program; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the state of New Hampshire strongly supports a timely reauthorization of TEA-21 with sufficient funding levels and no unfunded mandates or burdensome conditions attached to funding, thereby allowing states to address the transportation needs of their citizens and community; and

That the state of New Hampshire urges members of the New Hampshire congressional delegation to work with other members of Congress to adequately consider the needs of the Northeast, with its higher labor costs, denser populations and severe weather conditions and to ensure that New Hampshire receives the amount of funding necessary to meet our needs; and

That copies of this resolution be forwarded by the senate clerk to the members of the New Hampshire congressional delegation.

(Approved: May 27, 2005)