68-402b. Federal aid for highway costs; contracts; payments; allocation of federal aid; pledge of federal aid to repay advances.
(a) Authority is hereby granted to counties, cities and political subdivisions in this state to enter into contracts through or with the secretary of transportation, to enable the state and such counties, cities and political subdivisions to participate in the benefits to be secured from federal-aid funds, or funds made available from the federal government for highway, road or street purposes or for purposes relating to the various other modes and systems of transportation. Contracts so entered into by the boards of county commissioners or the governing bodies of cities or other political subdivisions shall be binding on them or their successors. The secretary of transportation may negotiate and enter into contracts with the federal government, federal departments or federal agencies and take all steps and proceedings necessary to secure such benefits for such counties, cities or other political subdivisions.
The secretary of transportation may determine amounts to be paid from the state highway fund on account of any federal-aid project on the highway system in any county, city or other political subdivision constructed under the provisions of the federal-aid highway act of 1956, or prior federal-aid acts, and all acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto, or relating to the various other modes and systems of transportation, and approve vouchers therefor. The counties' share of the cost of all such contracts so entered into by them under the federal-aid highway act of 1956, or prior federal aid acts, and all acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto, and federal acts relating to other modes and systems of transportation shall be paid by the proper county from the road and bridge fund of such county, or from any special fund available for such purpose.
Federal aid for county major collector roads or other federal aid classified routes shall be allocated by the secretary of transportation to each of the several counties in the proportion that the total gross amount of moneys received by each county from the special city and county highway fund and the county equalization and adjustment fund in the preceding calendar year prior to distribution of any such moneys bears to the total amount of moneys received by all counties from such fund in such year. If any county does not provide matching funds for federal aid allocated to such county, then the secretary of transportation may allocate such federal-aid funds to other counties or to the state highway system, and the secretary may accumulate any federal-aid moneys allocated to any or all counties over such period of time as the secretary deems necessary. Also the secretary may allow an advanced allocation of federal-aid funds to any county which establishes a need for additional federal-aid funds. Any such advanced allocation shall be made from accumulated federal-aid funds. Such federal-aid advanced allocations shall be credited back to such accumulated federal-aid funds if, or when, federal-aid funds are subsequently allocated to the counties that have received such advance allocations.
(b) In addition to the powers granted by subsection (a), the secretary may negotiate and enter into contracts with the federal government, federal departments, federal agencies or any other entity and may pledge any federal aid funds or other funds made available from the federal government for that or any other highway, road or street purposes within the state to repay funds which were advanced by counties, cities or political subdivisions of this state for highway, road or street purposes pursuant to the approval of the secretary of transportation.
History: L. 1937, ch. 287, § 1; L. 1949, ch. 343, § 3; L. 1951, ch. 377, § 1; L. 1957, ch. 357, § 3; L. 1970, ch. 397, § 3; L. 1970, ch. 398, § 1; L. 1975, ch. 426, § 53; L. 1981, ch. 262, § 1; L. 1983, ch. 227, § 6; L. 1985, ch. 232, § 4; L. 2005, ch. 84, § 3; L. 2006, ch. 76, § 2; July 1.