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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Lopez		DATE TYPED:	03/14/03		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Safe Routes to School Programs				SB	556/aSFC/aHTC
					ANALYST:		Reynolds-Forte

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY03	FY04	FY03	FY04
			See Fiscal Implications

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB729

Relates to SJM55

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Highway and Transportation Department

State Department of Education

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HTC Amendment

The House Transportation Committee Amendment to SB556 changes the word “shall” to “may” so language in the bill provides that the safe routes to school program “may” provide assistance to the state, counties and municipalities to identify school route hazards and implement improvements.

Synopsis of SFC Amendment

Senate Finance Committee Amendment to SB 556 deletes the $750.0 appropriation to the State Highway and Transportation Department. A safe routes to school program is still created within the State Highway and Transportation Department but wording is changed so that the program shall be established to provide “assistance” versus “funding assistance”.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

SFC amendment to SB 556 deletes the appropriation and the word funding from the bill; however, the amended bill still states that the State Highway and Transportation Department is expected to provide “assistance” to the state, counties and municipalities to identify safe school routes and to implement improvements including installing sidewalks, painting crosswalks, installing traffic signals, etc.

QUESTIONS

The State Highway and Transportation Department is expected to provide “assistance” to the state, counties and municipalities to identify safe school routes and to implement improvements including installing sidewalks, painting crosswalks, installing traffic signals, etc. How will this be done with no funding appropriated for this purpose?

Synopsis of Original Bill

SB 556 creates a safe routes to school program within the State Highway and Transportation Department to increase and make safer a student’s ability to walk or ride a bicycle to school. $750.0 is appropriated to the State Highway and Transportation Department from the general fund for FY04 to implement the provisions of the safe routes to school program.

Significant Issues

The State Department of Education states that school bus services to and from school provide transportation to approximately 50% of all school-age children.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

$750.0 is appropriated from the general fund to the State Highway and Transportation Department for FY04 to implement the program. Any funds unencumbered or unexpended at the end of the FY04 fiscal year will revert to the general fund.

SB556 establishes a program, to provide funding assistance to the state, counties and municipalities to identify school route hazards and implement engineering improvements. If the program is to continue, funding is recurring.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The State Highway and Transportation Department will be required to develop program evaluation criteria, application processes, disbursement policies and procedures, advertising and contracting for the program. The Department will also be required to establish contracting, billing and related accounting processes to administer this program.

DUPLICATION, RELATIONSHIP

SB556 and HB729 are duplicates. SB556 relates to SJM55 which requests the State Highway and Transportation Department to directs its efforts and federal funding toward making pedestrian and bicycle traffic safer and creating safe routes to schools.

PRF/njw:sb