HCS HJR 15 & 13 -- POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE STATE TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION

SPONSOR:  Koller (Crawford)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Transportation by a vote of 19 to 1.

This proposed constitutional amendment will establish a
Secretary of Transportation, who will be in charge of the
Department of Transportation.  The secretary will be appointed
by the Governor.

The Highways and Transportation Commission will become the
Transportation Commission and its members will be appointed by
the Governor to 6-year terms.  There will be one member from
each Congressional district with no more than 5 from the same
political party.  The following people will serve as nonvoting
ex officio members:  Commissioner of the Office of
Administration; Director of the Department of Economic
Development; Director of the Department of Agriculture; and
Director of the Department of Natural Resources.  The secretary
must annually submit to the commission a statewide
transportation improvement plan for its approval or disapproval.

The amendment also eliminates the cost of fuel tax collections
and the cost of administering and enforcing state motor vehicle
and traffic laws from the list of eligible uses of
transportation funds.  The cost of Department of Transportation
employee fringe benefit programs may be paid from transportation
funds.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Cost to General Revenue Fund of $0
on FY 2002, $93,200,000 in FY 2003, and $159,434,000 in FY
2004.  Estimated Net Savings to State Highway and Transportation
Department/State Road Funds of $0 in FY 2002, $92,994,168 in FY
2003, and $159,418,405 in FY 2004.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say they believe the current
transportation funding crisis cannot be solved until department
accountability is achieved.  Supporters feel the legislation
will give proper accountability.

Testifying for the bill was Representative Crawford.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Robert Triplett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated November 26, 2001 at 11:47 am