Bill Text: CA AJR53 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2014-09-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 167, Statutes of 2014. [AJR53 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AJR53-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AJR 53 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 167
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 25, 2014
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Rendon
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Lowenthal)
AUGUST 11, 2014
Relative to the National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 53, Rendon. National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014.
This measure would memorialize the Congress and President of the
United States to enact HR 5101, the National Freight Network Trust
Fund Act of 2014.
WHEREAS, An estimated 1.15 billion tons of cargo, valued at almost
$2,000,000,000,000, moves through California annually, providing the
goods and services needed to sustain regional and national
industries and consumers on a daily basis; and
WHEREAS, The national supply chain, national economy, and
international standing of the United States benefit from and depend
on goods movement; and
WHEREAS, Given the fact that the goods movement economic sector is
experiencing increased competition both nationally and
internationally, it is important that infrastructure improvements be
made to remove bottlenecks and move freight efficiently and safely
with minimal environmental impacts; and
WHEREAS, The federal government has begun to establish a
comprehensive national freight policy to facilitate the measured and
planned growth of interstate and international trade among and
between the states, our foreign neighbors, and from our international
airports and international seaports to domestic points of
destination, but the federal government does not have a plan in place
to fund those policies; and
WHEREAS, The traditional source of transportation funding is
revenue collected from the federal fuel tax (26 U.S.C. Sec. 4081),
and other sources, but this main source of funds has been stagnant
since 1993 and has struggled to keep pace with infrastructure
expenses in recent years as cars have become more fuel efficient; and
WHEREAS, The transportation funding gap is projected to be
$16,000,000,000 per year and the insolvency of the federal Highway
Trust Fund is projected to be imminent if immediate action is not
taken; and
WHEREAS, Given the large economic generator that goods movement
represents, freight movement should be funded from a dedicated
revenue stream; and
WHEREAS, A lack of significant investment in interstate and
international trade infrastructure in California has significant
costs, most notably the additional impacts of traffic congestion on
our local roads, highways, and railways and the emissions from
heavy-duty equipment, trains, trucks, and ships on air quality and
public health and the public financing burdens associated with
building and maintaining the transportation infrastructure necessary
to grow and facilitate interstate and international trade; and
WHEREAS, California taxpayers have recently committed
$3,100,000,000 of taxpayer funds to improve goods movement
infrastructure and reduce air pollution from goods movement in
California; and
WHEREAS, The significant costs, both direct and indirect, of
facilitating interstate and international trade should not rest
primarily with the state, its local governments, or its citizens; and
WHEREAS, If the United States wishes to remain globally
competitive, the movement of goods should be prioritized with the
creation of a dedicated funding stream for a multimodal national
freight system that will create efficiencies in the movement of goods
between our cities, ports, and markets, both here and abroad; and
WHEREAS, On July 6, 2012, the President signed Public Law 112-141
which, as a two-year federal transportation reauthorization,
established the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century surface
transportation program (MAP-21), which recognized the importance of
a strong freight network to ensure competitiveness in the global
economy; and
WHEREAS, The overarching themes of MAP-21 include strengthening
America's highways and public transportation systems, creating jobs,
supporting economic growth, accelerating project delivery, and
establishing performance-based federal programming; and
WHEREAS, MAP-21 included a variety of freight-related provisions,
including establishing a national freight policy, plan, and network,
providing incentive funding for freight improvements, encouraging
states to form freight advisory committees, requiring states to
develop freight performance measures, requiring the federal
Department of Transportation to develop a Freight Strategic Plan by
October 2014, and maintaining the Projects of National and Regional
Significance Program funding for large freight-oriented projects that
provide long-term congestion relief and safety improvements; and
WHEREAS, United States Customs and Border Protection collects an
estimated $38,000,000,000 annually; and
WHEREAS, The transfer of 5 percent of all import duties collected
by United States Customs and Border Protection would generate nearly
$1,900,000,000 annually; and
WHEREAS, It is necessary to create a dedicated funding source to
better serve our roads and railways that connect the freight network
to the ports of entry into this country; and
WHEREAS, A dedicated freight network trust fund would help fund
critical infrastructure projects, such as dedicated truck lanes on
highways, better bridges, and on-dock rail that would speed goods
movement, improve air quality, and reduce congestion on our nation's
roadways; and
WHEREAS, A dedicated freight network trust fund, as proposed to be
created by HR 5101, would infuse nearly $2,000,000,000 back into the
economy every year and create well-paying jobs here in the United
States while keeping our ports strong and globally competitive; and
WHEREAS, All levels of government serve a vital role in freight
movement and a dedicated funding source is needed to facilitate goods
movement-related projects that will provide economic, environmental,
and quality of life benefits both nationally and locally; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature memorializes the Congress
and President of the United States to enact HR 5101, the National
Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014, as introduced by
Representative Janice Hahn, to improve performance of the national
freight network; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative
representing California in the Congress of the United States.
