Bill Text - HB283 (2008)

Allocating a portion of unrefunded road tolls to the dam maintenance fund.


Revision: Jan. 1, 2008, midnight

HB 283 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

21Mar2007… 0535h

2007 SESSION

07-0507

06/05

HOUSE BILL 283

AN ACT allocating a portion of unrefunded road tolls to the dam maintenance fund.

SPONSORS: Rep. D. Russell, Belk 6

COMMITTEE: Public Works and Highways

ANALYSIS

This bill allocates a portion of unrefunded road tolls to the dam maintenance fund.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21Mar2007… 0535h

07-0507

06/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT allocating a portion of unrefunded road tolls to the dam maintenance fund.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Road Tolls; Exception. Amend RSA 260:60 to read as follows:

260:60 Exception. Notwithstanding all other laws and rules to the contrary, annually, on or before June 1, the road toll administrator shall compare the number of gallons on which refunds have been made for the preceding calendar year for motor fuel used in the propulsion of boats on inland public waters of the state, with the number of gallons of such motor fuel sold and delivered directly into the fuel tanks, or supplementary fuel tanks, of boats or outboard motors upon the inland public waters for use in such boats or outboards, based on the number of boats registered in the state at 100 gallons usage per boat, and if there is any balance of unrefunded tolls so collected, the administrator shall report the same to the state treasurer who shall, on July 1, next following, credit 1/2 of said balance to the [general] department of environmental services dam maintenance fund established under RSA 482:55 and credit 1/2 of said balance to the fish and game department. The funds credited to the department of environmental services dam maintenance fund and the fish and game department shall be used by [said] each department to carry out its program and be accounted for as the fish and game fund is accounted for. Any funds credited to the department of environmental services dam maintenance fund and the fish and game department as above provided shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year. The department shall pay monthly to the state treasurer all revenue from the aircraft landing area toll.

2 Dam Maintenance Fund; Fund Established. Amend RSA 482:55 to read as follows:

482:55 Fund Established. For the state of New Hampshire to meet its commitments to maintain its dams and impoundments and associated property for future generations and promote the safety of the public, there is established a dam maintenance fund to cover the cost of performing work on state-owned dams and property associated with and contiguous to state-owned dam sites, as well as noncontiguous property, such as rainfall and stream gages, that is essential to the safe operation of the dam. This fund shall be [a] an interest bearing nonlapsing trust fund which shall be continually appropriated for the purposes of this section.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

LBAO

07-0507

Amended 04/05/07

HB 283 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT allocating a portion of unrefunded road tolls to the dam maintenance fund.

FISCAL IMPACT:

    The Department of Environmental Services has determined this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2007-0535h), may decrease state general fund revenue and increase restricted revenue $826,000 in FY 2008 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on county and local revenue or state, county and local expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Environmental Services states this bill implements a recommendation of a legislative study committee to fill a gap in funding in the dam maintenance fund using un-refunded road tolls. Based on testimony during the committee hearings the un-refunded road toll from motor fuel used in boats ranged from $1,612,000 to $1,702,000 during the five year period from 1999 through 2003. The Department assumes an average balance of $1,652,000. Half of this amount, $826,000, would be credited to the dam maintenance fund, whereas it is currently credited to the general fund. This amount is subject to fluctuation from year to year as it is based on the number of boats registered in the state times the road toll (currently $.18 per gallon) times average fuel usage per registered boat as established by law (currently 100 gallons per registered boat). The amount that is actually refunded, which reduces the amount available for distribution, also fluctuates from year to year.