HJ0064 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0064 LRB097 19061 HEP 64300 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, There is a trend in rural areas both inside and outside of this State for local governments, including counties and townships, to re-designate local rural highways from paved-highway to unpaved status; and

WHEREAS, It is in the public interest to study this trend, identify the advantages and disadvantages to transitioning a road from pavement to gravel, and determine if changes to the Motor Fuel Tax Fund allocation formula are warranted; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Paved Rural Highways Study Committee, composed of 9 members, who shall be appointed no later than August 31, 2012 in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one member, who must be an owner or operator of a farm or place of agricultural business and have his or her principal place of residence outside the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;

(ii) the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one member, who must be an elected member of a county board, county commission, or township board of trustees and have his or her principal place of residence outside the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau; and

(iii) The Director of the Illinois Department of Transportation shall appoint the 9th member, who shall be the chairperson of the committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Committee shall be staffed by the staff of the Department of Transportation and shall receive no pay except to reimburse the expenses of the members of the Committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Committee shall investigate the trend in rural areas both inside and outside Illinois for local governments, including counties and townships, to re-designate local rural highways including but not limited to highways commonly designated as "farm-to-market roads", from paved-highway to unpaved status; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Committee shall meet at the call of the chair and prepare a report containing:

(a) information on how much money per mile, in annual upkeep costs, is saved by taxpayers through transitioning a two-lane highway from pavement to gravel;

(b) the disadvantages to local Illinois citizens of transitioning a road from pavement to gravel;

(c) information on the most recent annual totals representing motor fuel taxes and State sales taxes on motor fuel paid for by Illinois purchasers at points of sale located outside the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area; and

(d) a recommendation on what changes, if any, to the Motor Fuel Tax Fund allocation formula would suffice to prevent rural roads from being re-designated from pavement to gravel in future years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Committee shall submit its report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2012.