CCS/SCS/HS/HCS/HB 1742 - This act permits the General Assembly to authorize the Highways and Transportation Commission to issue bonds from fiscal year 2001 to 2006 in amounts not to exceed $2 billion, except that $250 million may be immediately authorized to provide funds for use in highway construction and repairs scheduled in the 5-Year Plan. The principal amount of the bonds shall not exceed $500,000,000 in any one fiscal year. Proceeds from the bonds shall only be used for construction engineering and construction costs and shall not be used to pay administrative, planning or design expenses. Contracted final design shall not be considered an administrative expense, but shall not exceed 7% of any project. The bonds are to be for a period of not less than ten years and not more than 20 years. All projects funded by the bonding authorization shall be funded in conformity with the priorities established in the 1992 plan developed by the Transportation Department. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds shall be paid to the state road fund to be expended for the purposes specified pursuant to Section 226.220, RSMo.

In order to obtain funding, the Highways and Transportation Commission must annually submit a proposed plan by the tenth legislative day to the General Assembly. The plan will become effective within 45 calendar days after its submission to the General Assembly unless it is disapproved by a concurrent resolution introduced within 14 calendar days of the submission of the plan. If no concurrent resolution disapproving the plan is introduced within 14 calendar days of the plan's submission, then the plan will become effective immediately. The presiding officer of each chamber shall submit the concurrent resolution to a vote of the membership no sooner than 7 calendar days nor later than 14 calendar days. The plan is not subject to amendment and may only be rejected in its entirety.

This act makes the Motor Fuel Tax Fund collection, apportionment and refund costs subject to section 226.200, RSMo. This act requires the Department of Transportation to create a multi-modal, total transportation plan based solely upon the real needs of the state. The Department of Transportation must submit its plan to the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight, the President pro tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 2, 2001.

For all future fiscal years, the total amount of appropriations from the State Highways and Transportation Fund for all state and departments will be capped and cannot exceed the amount appropriated to these offices or departments in fiscal year 2001. This cap does not apply to appropriations from the fund to the Office of Administration for the Department of Transportation employee fringe benefits and OASDHI payments. All interest earned upon the State Highways and Transportation Department Fund shall be deposited to the credit of such fund. This act removes language that the interest earned on the fund shall be included in the calculation of total state revenues. This section also diverts the balance of the fund after payment of the costs to the various state agencies to the State Road Fund (not the State Road Bond and Interest Sinking Fund).

This act designates a portion of I-55 in St. Louis County as the "Rosa Parks Highway" and a portion of I-44 in Springfield as the "Payne Stewart Highway". These provisions are similar to SB 876 and SB 1020 (2000), respectively. The bonding provisions are similar to ones contained in SB 1017 (2000).

This act has an emergency clause for the bonding provision.
STEPHEN WITTE