Bill Text: VA SB282 | 2024 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program; use of surplus funds for Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) [SB282 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SB282-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §33.2-373 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§33.2-373. Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program.
A. The Board shall establish the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program (the Program) to reduce motorized and nonmotorized fatalities and severe injuries on highways in the Commonwealth, whether such highways are state or locally maintained. The Board shall use funds set aside pursuant to §33.2-358 for the Program.
B. Beginning in fiscal year 2024, the Board shall, after program administration costs, allocate the funds in accordance with its adopted investment strategy pursuant to subsection C as follows:
1. At least 54 percent for infrastructure projects that address a hazardous road location or feature and address an identified highway safety problem;
2. At least 29 percent for strategies and activities to address behavioral causes of crashes that result in fatalities and severe injuries; and
3. The remaining amount for eligible purposes under this section pursuant to the investment strategy adopted pursuant to subsection C.
C. The Board shall adopt an investment strategy to guide the investments of the Program. The strategy shall cover a period of at least five years and seek to achieve a significant reduction in the anticipated number of fatalities and severe injuries over the covered period and shall give priority to projects, strategies, and activities based on the expected reduction in fatalities and severe injuries relative to cost, including improvements that are widely implemented based on a high-risk roadway feature that is correlated with a particular crash type, rather than crash frequency.
D. In addition to funds provided pursuant to subsection A, beginning in fiscal year 2025, for any fiscal year in which there is a surplus, the budget bill shall include an appropriation of 10 percent of such surplus to the Program. As used in this subsection, "surplus" means the amount, if any, by which actual general fund revenues exceed estimated general fund revenues for the fiscal year, less required deposits, if any, to the Revenue Stabilization Fund pursuant to §2.2-1829, the Revenue Reserve Fund pursuant to §2.2-1831.2, and the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund pursuant to §10.1-2128.
All funds appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall be used solely for the purposes of funding projects that would address a hazardous road location or feature or other identified highway safety problem and improve transportation safety at a specific location, including projects that would implement safe system approach designs, improve high accident risk areas, improve safety at school crossing zones as defined in §46.2-873, or create safer options for pedestrians and bicyclists, and shall be allocated using the investment strategy adopted by the Board pursuant to subsection C.
