A. The Legislature finds that the highway infrastructure in this state is vital to the health, safety, and welfare of the traveling public and to the economic development in this state. The Legislature also finds that the highway infrastructure should be continually improved and expanded in order to meet the general public's desire for a safe and convenient highway system. Based on these findings, it is the intent of the Legislature to expend and equitably distribute approximately Seven Hundred Million Dollars ($700,000,000.00), plus any additional expenditures approved pursuant to subsection F of this section, to construct new highways and improve existing highways over a five-year period as set forth in this act.
B. To properly fund the construction and improvement of the highway system in this state, it is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) from the Constitutional Reserve Fund each year for the first two (2) years and Fifty-two Million Five Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($52,550,000.00) from the Constitutional Reserve Fund each year for the next two (2) years for the purposes of highway construction and improvement subject to the declaration of an emergency pursuant to the provisions of Section 23 of Article X of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. In addition to the appropriation of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) from the Constitutional Reserve Fund in the second year of this program, it is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate an additional Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) in the second year of this program from the Constitutional Reserve Fund to be divided equally between Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties to further fund highway construction and improvement projects as set forth in this act.
C. In addition to the funding specified in subsection A of this section, the Legislature shall appropriate Thirty-four Million Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars ($34,900,000.00) in the first year and Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00) in each of the next four (4) years, and other sufficient monies to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to be deposited in the State Highway Construction and Maintenance Fund for the construction and improvement of the highway system in this state.
D. In addition to the funding specified in subsections B and C of this section, the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority shall be authorized to issue bonds, other negotiable instruments or other evidences of indebtedness in the principal amount sufficient to generate Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000.00) in proceeds available to fund the construction and improvements to the highway system as set forth in this act.
E. For purposes of this act, and despite any provision to the contrary as set forth in Section 1511 of this title, each State Transportation Commission district in this state shall receive equitable funding as follows:
1. Not more than twenty percent (20%) of the funding pursuant to this act shall be allocated to each of State Transportation Commission Districts 4 and 8. The percentage reflected in this paragraph shall not include the additional Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) appropriated from the Constitutional Reserve Fund as set forth in subsection B of this section; and
2. Not less than ten percent (10%) of the total funding pursuant to this act shall be allocated to each of the remaining six (6) transportation districts.
Only those highway projects set forth in Section 2002 of this title shall be eligible for funding pursuant to this act. Any excess funds from a particular highway project shall only be expended for other highway projects within the same transportation district. It is the intent of the Legislature that highway projects listed on the five-year plan for transportation facilities developed to meet present and future needs of this state shall continue to be funded as provided by current law. In addition, the Department of Transportation shall be required to construct, improve, maintain, and repair all highway projects listed on the five-year plan as such plan exists on May 28, 1997, except for normal highway programming adjustments, to the extent possible consistent with the funds provided by law for such highway projects. The Department of Transportation may issue Grant Anticipation Notes for projects of economic significance. Such bond issue or issues shall be subject to the unanimous approval of the Contingency Review Board.
F. 1. In addition to the provisions of this section, it is the intent of the Legislature to reexamine in fiscal year 2000 the status of the highway infrastructure as well as the highway construction and improvement projects as set forth in Section 2002 of this title. Based on such reexamination, it is the intent of the Legislature to expend additional monies, amounting to approximately Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000.00) to continue the construction of new highways and improve existing highways as set forth in this subsection.
2. In order for any additional monies to be expended as provided in this subsection, the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority shall be authorized to issue bonds, other negotiable instruments or other evidences of indebtedness in a principal amount sufficient to generate One Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000.00) in proceeds available to fund the construction and improvement of the highway system as set forth in this act. The terms and conditions of such issue shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section 168.6 of Title 73 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
3. In addition to the funding specified in paragraph 2 of this subsection, the Legislature shall authorize an appropriation in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000.00) from the Constitutional Reserve Fund, subject to the declaration of an emergency pursuant to the provisions of Section 23 of Article X of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, the General Revenue Fund, or the State Transportation Fund, or a combination of each.
4. For purposes of this subsection, each State Transportation Commission district in this state shall receive equitable funding as follows:
5. The additional funding as allocated by subparagraphs a and b of paragraph 4 of this subsection may be used for the completion of existing highway projects as set forth in subsection A of Section 2002 of this title, any highway projects or the continuation of existing highway projects as set forth in subsection B of Section 2002 of this title, or any other highway improvements within such transportation districts to which the funds were allocated pursuant to this subsection.
G. Of the total funding allocated under this section to State Transportation Commission District 4, sixty-seven percent (67%) of such funds are allocated exclusively to Oklahoma County. Of the total funding allocated under this section to State Transportation Commission District 8, fifty-eight and eight-tenths percent (58.8%) of such funds are allocated exclusively to Tulsa County.
Added by Laws 1997, c. 329, § 1, eff. July 1, 1997. Amended by Laws 2000, c. 401, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000.