SUMMARY OF THE 2010 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
In the early hours of June 11, the Rhode Island General Assembly closed out its 2010 session and approved two measures to promote sustainable transportation funding for Rhode Island, but did not adopt new funding mechanisms to make it a reality.

The Senate created a Study Commission on Sustainable Transportation Funding, which will examine funding options for public transportation and bridge and road repair. Both chambers also adopted a resolution urging Congress and Rhode Island's Congressional delegation to approve federal legislation to support Rhode Island state transportation projects.

However, legislation to create a Rhode Island Transportation Trust Fund to create a reliable funding stream for improvements to public transportation and for bridge and road repair failed to pass out of committee.

Below is a more detailed wrap-up of CTC's state legislative priorities for 2010 and how they fared at the General Assembly.

2010 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Priority #1: Support creation of the Rhode Island Transportation Trust Fund (S2744, H7734). Both bills failed to get out of committee. 

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on S2744 on May 13 and recommended the measure be held for further study. The House Finance Committee held a hearing on H7734 on May 11, but took no action on the bill.

The bills would have implemented the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations to increase the biannual auto registration fees by $40 and create a Petroleum Products Gross Receipts Tax to generate an annual total of $67 million for transportation investments. CTC proposed that the proceeds be used to leverage increased federal aid and be divided as follows: 35 percent for public transportation; 50 percent for state road and bridge rehabilitation program; and 15 percent for local roads rehabilitation program. The funds should be directed to a newly created Rhode Island Transportation Trust Fund to be managed by the State Planning Council through the Transportation Advisory Committee.

Priority #2: Establish a joint legislative study commission to research incentives for reducing vehicle miles traveled and to explore the advisability and feasibility of a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) tax in accordance with the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Funding (S2247, H7845).  S2247 was approved by the full Senate, but the House sent H7845 back to committee, effectively killing the legislation for the 2010 session. 

Both bills had committee hearings and S2247 was approved by the Senate Constitutional and Regulatory Issues on May 19 and approved by the full Senate on May 26. H7845 was approved by the House Finance Committee on June 9, but on June 10, the full house recommitted the bill to the House Finance Committee.

However, on June 11, the Senate approved S3023, a resolution creating a special legislative commission to be known as the "Study Commission on Sustainable Transportation Funding." The new commission's mandate is to make a comprehensive examination of issues relating to the desirability and feasibility of the state developing and implementing new funding sources for the department of transportation and the Rhode Island public transit authority as replacements for or supplements to the current gasoline tax.

Priority #3: Support passage of federal legislation to support state transportation projects (S2241, H7497). The General Assembly approved the join resolution, with the House approving the Senate bill on June 4 and the Senate approving the House bill on June 11. The measure will now go to the governor for final approval.

CTC supported a General Assembly resolution in support of the following federal bills to promote affordable transportation choices, economic development, and the types of walkable, vibrant communities for Rhode Island: Complete Streets Act of 2009 (H.R. 1443/S 584); National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009 (H.R. 2724); and Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act (CLEAN-TEA) (H.R. 1329 /S 575)