2005 Legislation
Print Friendly

SENATE BILL NO. 1159 – Transportation, public policy

SENATE BILL NO. 1159

View Bill Status

View Bill Text

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



Text to be added within a bill has been marked with Bold and
Underline. Text to be removed has been marked with
Strikethrough and Italic. How these codes are actually displayed will
vary based on the browser software you are using.

This sentence is marked with bold and underline to show added text.

This sentence is marked with strikethrough and italic, indicating
text to be removed.

Bill Status



S1159................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
STATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION POLICY - Adds to existing law to establish a
State Public Transportation Policy; and to provide for implementation of
the policy by the Idaho Transportation Department with the approval of the
Idaho Transportation Board.
                                                                        
02/22    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/23    Rpt prt - to Transp

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2005
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1159
                                                                        
                              BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION POLICY; AMENDING CHAPTER 5, TITLE 40,  IDAHO
  3        CODE,  BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 40-515, IDAHO CODE, TO ESTABLISH A
  4        STATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND TO PROVIDE  FOR  IMPLEMENTATION  OF
  5        THE POLICY.
                                                                        
  6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  7        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  5,  Title  40, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
  8    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
  9    ignated as Section 40-515, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        40-515.  PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION POLICY -- IMPLEMENTATION. (1)  It is hereby
 11    recognized by the legislature of the state of Idaho that as the population and
 12    economy of the state grow, the total needs for mobility of people and commerce
 13    depend  upon  integrated systems of all transportation modes and cannot be met
 14    solely with highways and road systems; that motor vehicle congestion  and  air
 15    quality  problems  may result in some areas which can adversely affect health,
 16    safety and economic development; that there is a variety of  persons  who  are
 17    elderly  or disabled who are transit-dependent in rural and urban areas or who
 18    otherwise require public transportation services for their general welfare and
 19    independence; and that prosperous commerce and industry  depend  on  efficient
 20    local  and  regional systems of privately and publicly provided transportation
 21    services. It is further recognized that the determination of public  transpor-
 22    tation  needs and the planning of services to meet those needs vary throughout
 23    the state and are best determined by local elements  of  government,  business
 24    and  citizen groups. It is therefore declared to be the policy of the state of
 25    Idaho to maintain a statewide commitment to improve public transportation ser-
 26    vices with the proactive support of local and regional  entities  using  state
 27    funds in conjunction with federal and local funds to:
 28        (a)  Support  public  information programs and local public transportation
 29        planning in order to promote awareness and use  of  public  transportation
 30        services;
 31        (b)  Encourage  the use of transportation alternatives to the use of motor
 32        vehicles for transporting only one (1) occupant in order to mitigate motor
 33        vehicle congestion and to promote energy conservation goals and compliance
 34        with clean air standards;
 35        (c)  Support and assist the efforts of local governments to form  regional
 36        public transportation authorities as provided for in chapter 21, title 40,
 37        Idaho  Code,  and public transportation programs through the use of inter-
 38        governmental agreements entered into between local units of government;
 39        (d)  Promote cooperative agreements between public and private transporta-
 40        tion providers to minimize duplications in transportation services;
 41        (e)  Foster public/private partnerships for provision of public  transpor-
 42        tation projects and services;
 43        (f)  Provide  technical  assistance  and  training  support  to  local and
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1        regional governmental and nonprofit public transportation providers; and
  2        (g)  Encourage transportation entities to work in  partnerships  to  inte-
  3        grate  public transportation services into coordinated transportation sys-
  4        tems.
  5        (2)  It is the responsibility of the  department,  with  approval  of  the
  6    board,  to implement the policy as described in subsection (1) of this section
  7    and in so doing to establish policies and procedures regarding the  management
  8    and use of state and other funds that are allocated to or otherwise come under
  9    the  administrative  control  of the department for public transportation pur-
 10    poses.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 15039

Idaho law does not currently provide for a policy on public
transportation.  Public transportation includes, among others,
vans, buses, and other modes of public conveyance.  This
legislation establishes a public transportation policy for the
state of Idaho that states that public transportation services
are to be provided by local or regional public and private
entities.  The policy also provides that the state's role is
limited to providing public transportation support services by
the Idaho Transportation Department as outlined in the
legislation.  This legislation was unanimously recommended by the
2004 Interim Legislative Committee on Public Transportation and
Air Quality.


                           FISCAL NOTE

There is no impact to the general fund.  Services to be
provided by the Idaho Transportation Department are already
funded from the gasoline excise tax and federal funds.




Contact
Name:  Senator Curt McKenzie 
Phone: 332-1354
Name:  Senator David Langhorst
Phone: 332-1348


                                             
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                      S 1159