H-1908.1  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4028

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives K. Schmidt, R. Fisher, Hatfield, Cairnes, Hankins, Ogden, Johnson, D. Schmidt and Blanton

Read first time 02/22/95.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Urging passage of legislation authorizing the National Highway System.

    TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The establishment of the National Highway System (NHS) is deemed necessary to ensure that our citizens are connected to the rest of the nation and the world, and that all citizens of our nation are connected to the natural resources, national parks, cities, and other points of national importance now and in the future; and

    WHEREAS, The provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) provide States with overall responsibility for NHS route and project selection; and

    WHEREAS, The planning and public participation provisions of the ISTEA ensure that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), other transportation agencies, and the general public have a significant role in the NHS program; and

    WHEREAS, An equitable process for designation of NHS routes as defined by the ISTEA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rules and procedures has been established; and

    WHEREAS, The flexibility and transferability provisions in Section 1006 of the ISTEA, describing the NHS, enable States to address critical transportation needs identified in the MPO and State transportation planning processes; and

    WHEREAS, The FHWA has submitted their proposed designations to Congress; and

    WHEREAS, After September 30, 1995, no Federal funds made available for the National Highway System or the Interstate Maintenance program may be apportioned unless a law has been approved designating the National Highway System;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully urge that Congress pass legislation approving the National Highway System (NHS) at the earliest date possible, but no later than September 30, 1995.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of this state's delegation to Congress.

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