Relates to indexing of appropriations

1 Co-sponsor

• Martin Malavé Dilan

Title of bill

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to indexing appropriations

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1: Amends Subdivision 2 of section 10-c of the highway law, to provide for indexing of the consolidated highway improvement program appropriation for subsequent state fiscal years based on the national highway construction cost index for the most recent twelve month period.

Purpose and justification

Cost increases are inevitable and do not discriminate against individuals or industries. This reality is particularly true in the highway construction industry, where the price of materials and the fuel necessary to deliver them have skyrocketed in recent years. While we received an increase in the State's funding for municipal road and bridge projects in recent years, traditionally these fund have not kept pace with increasing costs and deteriorating municipal infrastructure.

In order to address this issue and provide our municipal superintendents and highway crews with the sufficient resources necessary to maintain safe roads and bridges across New York State, we need to fashion our funding formulas and mechanisms to reflect these inevitable increases. By indexing the amount of money we dedicate to our infrastructure each year to inflation, we can more accurately determine the appropriate amount of resources necessary to maintain and improve our infrastructure.

Prior legislative history

2014: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.