Resolution on the Federal Highway Trust Fund Exposed

The Resolution on the Federal Highway Trust Fund is listed under ALEC's Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force and was included in the 1996 ALEC Sourcebook of American State Legislation. ALEC has attempted to distance itself from this piece of legislation after the launch of ALECexposed.org in 2011, but it has done nothing to get it repealed in the states where it previously pushed for it to be made into law.

ALEC Resolution Text

Summary

Resolution to Congress to use Highway Trust Fund monies primarily for the needs associated with the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the National Highway System (NHS).

Model Resolution

Section 1. {Short Title}

This Resolution shall be known as the Resolution on the Federal Highway Trust Fund.

Section 2. {Model Resolution}

WHEREAS, due to the dynamics of state size, population, and other factors such as federal land ownership and international borders, there is a need for donor and donee states in order to have a successful nation-wide transportation system; and

WHEREAS, there should be a uniform measure when considering the donor/donee issue. A ratio derived from the total amount of funds a state receives divided by the total amount that the state collects in federal taxes and fees is a clear and understandable measure; and

WHEREAS, all demonstration projects should be eliminated; and

WHEREAS, the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund should be rolled into the state Block Grant Program with the states making the final decisions that affect the funding of their local transit operations and based on the state-wide planning process; and

WHEREAS, as a whole, all funds residing in the Highway Trust Fund should be returned to the states either as funds for the uses on the National Highway System, nationally uniform highway safety improvement programs, or as a block grant. Only a reasonable amount of the collected funds from the federal gas tax and highway users fees should be retained by U.S. Department of Transportation for safety and research purposes; and

WHEREAS, states with public land holdings should not be penalized for receiving transportation funding through federal land or National Park transportation programs, and said funding should not be included in the states allocation of funds; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that after National Highway System and safety improvement expenditures, a state block grant program should be established for the distribution of remaining funds; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, to expand federal and state activities to combat the evasion of fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees.

ALEC's Sourcebook of American State Legislation 1996