THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	96
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO INCREASE LOCAL FUNDING FOR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS AND TO PURSUE FURTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE FEDERAL BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.

WHEREAS, the cost of building and maintaining infrastructure is one of the most costly annual expenses to the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the new Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide an injection of federal funding that creates an opportunity for the State of Hawaii to reduce the cost of building new infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, much of the new federal money will come in the form of new or expanded programs, formula funding, and discretionary grants, which will require additional resources to apply for and manage; and

WHEREAS, planning is an essential part of the federal funding process, and deemed necessary by the federal government, to take advantage of certain funding opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are essential in the process of receiving federal funding for infrastructure projects; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to federal law, U.S. Code Title 49 Chapter 5303(h)(1), MPOs have broad authority with respect to planning infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the MPOs in the State of Hawaii have traditionally been understaffed when compared with other MPOs across the United States and in relation to the importance of their role, as such the State has lost potential opportunities to receive additional federal funding for infrastructure projects; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Transportation is requested to increase local funding for Metropolitan Planning Organizations in order to pursue additional discretionary funding opportunities resulting from the new Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization is requested to submit annual briefings to the legislature including how and to what degree projects in the Oahu regional transportation plan achieve the State's ground transportation goals under chapter 264-143, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and other broad state transportation goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and Executive Directors of all local Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the State of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Metropolitan Planning Organizations; Funding; Infrastructure Law