Almost 40 states—well over half the country—have considered, or are currently considering, transportation funding legislation so far this year, according to the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center’s latest monthly report of 2015 on state legislation.
TIAC staff have tracked 138 bills in 38 states throughout 2015. Fifteen bills have been passed to date, totaling approximately $2.7 billion in new transportation funding. Almost 100 bills are still pending legislative action. As many legislative sessions draw to a close, several states continue to make progress on bills:
- Nebraska legislators voted on May 14 to override the Governor’s veto and approve a 6 cents-per-gallon state gas tax increase that will total $76.2 million annually once fully implemented.
- Unable to reach an agreement on long-term transportation funding, Minnesota lawmakers passed a two-year bill on May 19 to fund $5.5 billion of road, bridge and transit projects through appropriations and unreserved DOT funds. The bill is pending approval from Governor Mark Dayton (D).
- The Texas legislature called a conference committee to find a compromise between two differing versions of a bill to redirect funds—currently being deposited into the state’s General Fund—to the Transportation Fund.
- Washington state lawmakers entered a special session in order to find a compromise on long-term transportation funding proposals.
- Michigan lawmakers have put forth several new transportation funding bills after the defeat of the May transportation ballot measure.
- Bills to provide new recurring transportation revenue also advanced in Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana and South Carolina this month.
To read the full report of 2015 proposed transportation funding initiatives, visit the May 2015 State Transportation Funding Monthly Report.