HM 0985

1	House Memorial
2	A memorial to the President and Congress of the United
3	States, urging the President and Congress to expedite the
4	reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the
5	21st Century.
6
7	WHEREAS, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
8	Century, commonly called TEA-21, enacted June 9, 1998, expired
9	on September 30, 2003, and
10	WHEREAS, short-term federal transportation funding has been
11	maintained without disruption through the passage of six
12	extensions, the latest of which expires May 31, 2005, and
13	WHEREAS, the Bush Administration, the United States Senate,
14	and the United States House of Representatives have developed
15	proposed legislation that differ in some respects, primarily
16	funding levels, and
17	WHEREAS, for fiscal year 2004-2005, the Florida Department
18	of Transportation received $1.5 billion in federal
19	transportation funds that were used to plan, build, improve, and
20	maintain federal and state roads and bridges and to plan and
21	finance aviation, rail, and public transit projects, and
22	WHEREAS, federal transportation funds supply about one-
23	third of Florida's transportation budget, and
24	WHEREAS, Florida depends on a stable source of federal
25	funding to successfully plan for and implement its statutorily
26	required 5-year work program, and
27	WHEREAS, Florida is the nation's third-fastest growing
28	state with varied transportation access needs to improve
29	mobility, travel safety, and economic development for its
30	citizens, and
31	WHEREAS, historically, Florida has been a "donor" state
32	when it comes to transportation funding and currently receives
33	86 cents in federal transportation funding for each dollar in
34	transportation taxes and fees contributed, NOW, THEREFORE,
35
36	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38	That the President and the Congress of the United States
39	are requested to expedite reauthorization of the Transportation
40	Equity Act for the 21st Century to guarantee Florida and the
41	other 49 states at least a 95-percent rate of return on all
42	federal transportation funds distributed.
43	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
44	dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
45	President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
46	United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
47	the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.