FINAL BILL REPORT

HJM 4001

BYRepresentatives Schmidt, Walk, S. Wilson, Zellinsky, Van Luven, Baugher, R. Fisher, Gallagher, May, Peery, Bowman, Moyer, D. Sommers, Miller, Wolfe, Nealey and Brough

Requesting removal of the highway trust fund and the airport and airway trust fund from the unified federal budget.

House Committe on Transportation

Senate Committee on Transportation

AS PASSED LEGISLATURE

BACKGROUND:

The state of Washington, as do all states, relies on federal user fee revenues to support our highways, our state ferry system and airports.  Federal user fee revenues are deposited in either the Highway or Airport Trust Funds and can be expended only for designated purposes.  Revenues collected exceed appropriations for both trust funds.

Unexpended balances in the Highway and Airport Trust Funds are considered part of the Unified Federal Budget.  Therefore, part of the fund balances are applied to the calculations in determining the federal deficit, even though the monies can be expended only for transportation and airport purposes.

The projected balance for the Highway Trust Fund is $16 billion and $7 billion for the Airport Trust Fund.

SUMMARY:

The memorial requests the President and Congress to remove the Highway Trust Fund and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund from the Unified Federal Budget and permit the user fee revenues to be distributed back to the states for their intended purposes.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 97   0

      Senate    43     0