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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0853.000 1996-1998 AL SMITH Phone: (SOS) 961-8267 Vice Chairman f FAX: (808) 969-3291 +FF OFNP+1 COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawaii Hawaii County Buildint 25 Aupuni Streel May 14, 1998 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 TO: Chairman Arakaki and Members of the Hawaii County Council FROM: Al Smith (x SUBJECT: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES' (NACoI PLATFORM ON THE INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT (ISTEA). Attached for your consideration is a resolution in support of the National Association of Counties' Platform on the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) along with a NACo Fact Sheet. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act or ISTEA was originally passed in 1991 and was authorized to provide $156 billion over a six year period for highways and transit systems and provide for a more flexible program with an enhanced role for local government officials. The program expired in September 1997. Congress failed to reauthorize ISTEA in 1997. Congress did, however, pass a six-month extension to keep funds flowing to local and state governments. Throughout our nation, counties own 1.7 million miles of roads, 219,000 bridges and operate one-third of our nation's transit systems. While counties invest billions of dollars to build and maintain these systems, there remains substantial need for federal funds to supplement the county investment in these systems. Congress is once again considering the reauthorization of ISTEA. NACo supports the following key points regarding the reauthorization of ISTEA: • Increased funding or highways, bridges, and mass transit. • Retention of existing ISTEA program structure, specifically those programs which have provide finds to county governments the surface transportation program, the bridge program, and the transit program. • Strengthened role for both urban and rural counties in the planning and project selection process. • Removal of the highway and transit trust fund from the unified budget or similar proposals to spend more of the gas tax revenues collected in the trust fund The purpose of this resolution is to express Hawaii County's support for the reauthorization of ISTEA and of NACo's platform on ISTEA. This matter is also being considered as a position of the Hawaii State Association of Counties (HSAC). Attach. R,<~ MAY :.ACo: L -gisladw Affairs - Fact Sheets - ISTEA httpl/w Waco.org/policy/facts/istmfs.ht z' kzz oil All Legislative .t7r~aesGCfttM.uioe , .s~,.,, 5 r. :..a .:::L.. r.:..,...h N 000 00 NACo Fact Sheets Bulletin 0 Legislative Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act Priorities (ISTEA) 0' Fact Sheets i Issue: Highway and transit issues will receive a great deal of attention this year. Originally passed in 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was authorized to provide $156 billion over a six year period for highways Advocacy and transit systems and provide for a more flexible program with an enhanced role Documents for local government officials. The program expired on September 30, 1997 and the process to reauthorize or extend ISTEA is in high gear. For a number of reasons, Bill Tracking mostly budgetary, Congress failed to reauthorize ISTEA in 1997. However, it did pass a six-month extension to keep funds flowing to local and state governments. Counties receive substantial funding for highways, bridges, and transit systems and are extremely interested in the outcome of the final outcome of the legislation. Lobbyists Background: Counties own 1.7 million miles of roads, 219,000 bridges and operate one-third of the nation's transit systems. While counties invest billions of Steering dollars to build and maintain these systems, there remains a substantial need for Committees federal funds to supplement the county investment in these systems. O~: American With the passage of ISTEA came the promise of more funding for county highways, ' County bridges and transit systems, and a program, which would be more flexible and responsive to the concerns of local governments. In general, this has been the case. Piatforri In metropolitan areas, substantial funding from the surface transportation program has flowed to counties through the metropolitan planning process. Local governments have been able to make more choices on how they want to spend that money. The transit program, little changed by ISTEA, has continued uninterrupted, particularly benefiting urban counties. Generally, funding for highways and transit has been increased over the life of ISTEA, though never to the authorized levels. For FY98, highways will receive $21.5 billion and transit $4.8 billion, substantial increases over the previous year. However, the spending of much of these funds is dependent on the passage of ISTEA. The House and Senate were well into the process of reauthorizing ISTEA in 1997. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had approved a $216 billion six year extension of ISTEA (H.R. 2400 which generally continues the existing ISTEA structure and made some adjustments in the funding formulas. But opposition from the House leadership, who believed that the bill violated the balanced budget agreement, made it politically impossible to bring the bill to a vote before the full House. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Banking Committee approved S. 1173 and S. 1271, providing six year extensions of ISTEA for the highway and transit programs respectively totaling $180 billion, a funding level consistent with the budget agreement. This bill reflects inputs from the supporters of the current program, as well as the STEP 21 and STARS proposals. Efforts to bring this legislation before the Senate for debate were stymied I of 3 05/01/98 15:17_ 1"ACo: L gislative Affairs - Fact Sheets - ISTEA http!/www.naco.org/policy/fwts/isteafs.htn by supporters of campaign reform legislation who were successful in blocking consideration of S. 1173 until the Senate leadership agreed to a vote on campaign reform. While the agreement on campaign reform was finally reached, it was too late in the session for the Senate to debate and come to a vote on ISTEA. With the inability of the House and Senate to act on a multi-year ISTEA bill, Congress approved a six-month extension of the highway and transit programs. After little visible action on ISTEA during the first several months of this session of Congress, the legislation finally got moving recently in the Senate and a bill was passed on March 12 by a vote of 964. A great deal of pressure had been exerted to increase funding and once an agreement was worked out between the Senate leadership, the Budget Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, action on the bill occurred quite quickly. The Senate provided an additional $26 billion for highways, increasing funding from $145 billion to $171 billion over six years. In order to retain parity, transit was increased by $45 billion, from $36.3 billion to $41.3 billion. The agreement on a Senate bill triggered movement in the House. The House leadership, the Budget Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee were able to agree on a $218 billion highway and transit bill. This includes taking the Highway Trust Fund off-budget, a move that will maximize the likelihood that funds authorized will be spent The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to consider the H.R. 2400 on March 24, with consideration by the full House to follow shortly thereafter. A Conference Committee between the House and Senate could begin meeting in April and will have to deal with a number of contentious issues, among which will be whether or not the Highway Trust Fund will ultimately be taken off-budget. NACo policy: NACo supports the following key points regarding the reauthorization of ISTEA: . Increased funding for highways, bridges, and mass transit. . Retention of the existing ISTEA program structure, specifically those programs which provide funds to county governments-the surface transportation program, the bridge program, and the transit program. . Strengthened role for both urban and rural counties in the planning and project selection process. . Removal of the highway and transit trust fund from the unified budget or similar proposals to spend more of the gas tax revenues collected in the trust fund. Action needed: County officials should communicate with Senate and House members concerning their support of the reauthorization of ISTEA in its current form, along with a stronger role for county officials in the project selection process, and their opposition to any major program restructuring to give the states further authority over how highway and transit funds are spent. NACo members also need to emphasize with administration and Congressional leaders their support for a provision taking the Highway Trust Fund off-budget, or a similar mechanism which ensures the spending of all the funds authorized for the highway and transit programs in the ISTEA reauthorization legislation. Contact: Bob Fogel 202-942-4217 e-mail: Bob Foee! March 1998 About NACo I About Counties I Membership Benefits) Leeislative Issues Affiliates I Conferences I Services for Counties I Publications 2 of 3 05/01/98 15:173: