SB398: appropriating additional funds to the department of transportation for existing municipal bridges.

SB 398-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED

2024 SESSION

24-3031

11/06

SENATE BILL 398-FN-A

AN ACT appropriating additional funds to the department of transportation for existing municipal bridges.

SPONSORS: Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Rep. B. Boyd, Hills. 12; Rep. T. Dolan, Rock. 16; Rep. Grassie, Straf. 8

COMMITTEE: Finance

ANALYSIS

This bill makes an additional appropriation to the department of transportation for proportional distribution to municipalities for municipal bridges already in existence.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

24-3031

11/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT appropriating additional funds to the department of transportation for existing municipal bridges.

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

1 Department of Transportation; Municipal Bridges; Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated to the department of transportation the sum of $14,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, which shall be nonlapsing and expended for municipal bridges by municipalities with existing bridges. One half of the funds ($7,000,000) shall be distributed to municipalities with municipally-owned bridges based on each municipality’s total bridge deck area per department inventory, as of January 1, 2024. The other half of the funds ($7,000,000) shall be distributed to municipalities with municipally-owned bridges based on each municipality’s share of total state population based on the office of planning and development’s population estimate with each municipal population in proportion to the total population of the state as of July 1, 2023. The funds to be distributed under this section shall be in addition to all other state and federal aid specifically authorized by statute. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. No funds appropriated under this section shall be used to supplant locally budgeted and approved funds for bridge maintenance or construction, which may include the replacement of outdated, undersized, or degraded culverts. The funds appropriated in this section may be considered unanticipated money under RSA 31:95-b and may be accepted and expended pursuant to RSA 31:95-b, II through IV, whether or not a political subdivision has adopted the provisions of RSA 31:95-b.

2 Department of Transportation; "Apportionment A" Distributions; Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated to the department of transportation the sum of $26,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, which shall be nonlapsing and expended as additional “Apportionment A” distributions under RSA 235:23, I. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. No funds appropriated under this section shall be used to supplant locally budgeted and approved funds for road maintenance or construction, which may include the replacement of outdated, undersized, or degraded culverts. The funds appropriated in this section may be considered unanticipated money under RSA 31:95-b and may be accepted and expended pursuant to RSA 31:95-b, II through IV, whether or not a political subdivision has adopted the provisions of RSA 31:95-b.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024

LBA

24-3031

12/3/23

SB 398-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT appropriating additional funds to the department of transportation for existing municipal bridges.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue Fund(s)

None

Expenditures

$0

$40,000,000

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

General Fund

Appropriations

See Technical Issues Discussed Below

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

General Fund

• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] See Below

• Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] N/A

Estimated Political Subdivision Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Local Revenue

$0

$40,000,000

$0

$0

Local Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

METHODOLOGY:

This bill seeks to appropriate $40,000,000 of general funds to the Department of Transportation for the distribution of aid to municipalities. Of this amount, $14,000,000 will be distributed as bridge aid ($7,000,000 based on bridge deck area and $7,000,000 based on population), and $26,000,000 as additional "apportionment A" (highway block grants) distributions under RSA 235:23, I. It is assumed the entire $40,000,000 is intended to be distributed in FY 2025.

It should be noted this bill has two technical flaws; (1) the $14,000,000 appropriation is made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and (2) the $26,000,000 appropriation is made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, however, the effective date of the bill is July 1, 2024.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

None