§820.2. Distribution of proceeds; Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development Account
A.(1) In addition to the requirements of Article VII, Section 27 of the Constitution of Louisiana concerning the depositing, crediting, use, or pledging of the avails of the taxes levied on gasoline and motor fuels and on special fuels, the portion of the full amount of taxes collected pursuant to R.S. 47:820.1, which are "excess revenues" as that term is defined in Section 27, shall be credited to the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development Account hereafter, "the account", which the treasurer is hereby directed to create within the Transportation Trust Fund in the state treasury. Monies in the account shall be used solely to fund the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development program through the Department of Transportation and Development as provided for in this Section.
(2) Unless there are insufficient monies in the Bond Security and Redemption Fund from all other sources to pay principal, interest, and premium, if any, on full faith and credit obligations, the treasurer is hereby directed to transfer that portion of the proceeds from the tax collected pursuant to R.S. 47:820.1 and pursuant to other provisions which levy a tax on gasoline and motor fuels and special fuels which has been deposited in the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as required by Article VII, Section 27(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana, as follows:
(a) In the case of the tax collected pursuant to R.S. 47:820.1, to the account.
(b) In the case of the tax collected pursuant to other provisions of law, as required by the provisions of Article VII, Section 27 of the Constitution of Louisiana.
(3) Monies in the account shall be invested as provided by law. Unencumbered or unexpended balances at the end of each fiscal year shall remain to the credit of the account. Any amounts earned through investment of the monies in the account shall remain to the credit of the account and shall not revert to the state general fund. In addition to the provisions in Subsection C of this Section, the collections of the tax levied by R.S. 47:820.1 and the monies in the account may be used for the payment of obligations incurred or to support any pledge made by the State Bond Commission relative to bonds issued or debt incurred by it as provided in Article VII, Section 27 of the Constitution of Louisiana, but only for the purposes and projects specified in Subsection B of this Section.
B.(1) Except as provided in Subsection C of this Section, the collections of the tax levied by R.S. 47:820.1 in the account shall be used, and the bonds issued by the State Bond Commission pursuant to Article VII, Section 27(C) shall be issued, solely and exclusively for the following projects and in the following amounts:
Expenditures
(a) Highway Projects
US 171 - Lake Charles to Shreveport $415 million
US 165 - I-10 to Alexandria to Monroe to
Bastrop and thence on US Highway
425 from Bastrop to the Arkansas Line 492 million
US 90 - Morgan City to Houma 256 million
US 167 - Alex.-Ruston to Arkansas Line 389 million
LA 3241 - I-12 to Bush (Bogalusa) 52 million
Jefferson Parish West Bank Expressway
(Avenue D to Ames Blvd.) 33.2 million
New Orleans Tchoupitoulas Street Corridor 55 million
Earhart Blvd. (Orleans Parish Line to Loyola
Avenue) 20 million
West Napoleon (Jefferson Parish/City of Kenner) 53 million
Baton Rouge to Monroe:
LA 15 - Natchez, Miss. to Chase 66 million
US 61 - Thompson Creek to Miss. Line 29 million
(b) Bridges
New Mississippi River Bridge at St. Francisville
(Connection to US 61) 150 million
Huey P. Long Bridge (widen to six lanes) 220 million
New Florida Ave. Bridge over Industrial Canal 129 million
(c) Port of New Orleans 100.0 million
(d) New Orleans International Airport 75.0 million
(e) The Louisiana Highway 3241 project from Interstate 12 to Bush listed in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall be constructed as a four-lane or more highway.
(2) However, the Department of Transportation and Development is hereby authorized to revise these expenditure amounts annually and shall appear before the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Highways and Public Works annually to inform the committees of such revisions.
(3) Any other provisions of law notwithstanding:
(a) Nothing in this Part shall in any way increase the existing mileage included in the state highway system.
(b) The projects provided for in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be funded whether or not they are included in the capital outlay bill for a fiscal year.
(c) Any project provided for in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection which has been completed by the Department of Transportation and Development as of June 10, 1998, shall not receive any additional monies from the imposition of this tax.
(d) In order to expedite the completion of the West Napoleon project listed in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the state is authorized to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with both the city of Kenner and the parish of Jefferson for the advancement and repayment of funding, and the construction and completion of the West Napoleon project:
(i) For the construction of that portion of the West Napoleon project within the jurisdictional limits of the city of Kenner, the parties to the cooperative endeavor agreement shall be the state, the city of Kenner and the parish of Jefferson.
(ii) For the construction of that portion of the West Napoleon project within the unincorporated portion of Jefferson Parish, the parties to the cooperative endeavor agreement shall be the state and the parish of Jefferson.
(iii) The parish of Jefferson shall be the project manager under any such cooperative endeavor agreement for all portions of the West Napoleon project and all funds advanced by the parish of Jefferson pursuant hereto shall fall within the definition of state tax supported debt, as that term is used in R.S. 39:1367.
C. Monies in the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development Account not needed for the payment of principal, interest, or premium, if any, or other charges related to the issuance of bonds by the State Bond Commission may be appropriated and used for purposes not inconsistent with the Transportation Trust Fund. Any such appropriations shall be made before January 1, 1994. The total of any such appropriations made shall not exceed one hundred sixty million dollars in the aggregate. All such appropriations made for Transportation Trust Fund projects and purposes other than those provided for in Subsection B of this Section shall be considered interfund borrowing and shall be returned to the credit of the account no later than June 30, 2010.
D.(1) Each year, beginning with the fiscal year commencing in 1989, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board shall each submit to the legislature a program of construction to be commenced in the ensuing fiscal year, which shall be based upon the anticipated revenues to be appropriated by the legislature and listed in an order of priority of the projects herein.
(2) The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board also shall each provide to the legislature annually an additional list of projects proposed to be commenced within the ensuing four years which are in various stages of planning and preparation. This list shall be subject to change by the department and the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board until the department and each of the boards finally approve each project for construction.
(3) Prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board shall each prepare and shall furnish the project construction list to the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works which shall hold a public hearing or hearings for the purpose of reviewing priorities for the coming fiscal year. Subsequent to the committee hearing and prior to the convening of the regular session, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board shall each prepare the final construction program for the coming fiscal year for submission to the legislature. When this final construction program is presented to the legislature for funding for the coming fiscal year, any project which the legislature determines is not in the proper order of priority may be deleted by the legislature. However, the legislature shall not add any projects to this final construction program nor shall the legislature make substitutions for projects which have been removed.
(4) No construction project herein shall be undertaken by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board except those included in the priority listing for that fiscal year. The legislative auditor or a certified public accountant shall conduct a biennial audit of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board pursuant to R.S. 24:513(A) and shall issue and distribute all audit reports pursuant to R.S. 24:516(A). However, at the request of either board, there shall be an annual audit of such board.
(5) The projects planned for the year for which appropriations have been made shall be commenced in that year; however, if a project cannot be commenced within the year for which it is planned, the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, or the boards, whichever is appropriate, shall file with the project records a public statement as to the factors causing the delay, and the next priority project be substituted therefor. When the delaying factors have been overcome, the delayed project shall be placed in the highest priority for the next ensuing fiscal year. Funds allocated for each construction project shall remain so allocated until the project is completed and the project costs are liquidated.
E. Any monies allocated for any project as specified in Subparagraphs (B)(1)(a) and (b) of this Section not needed for such project may be reallocated for the completion of any other project or projects specified. Any monies not needed for the completion of such projects shall be used for purposes not inconsistent with the Transportation Trust Fund.
Acts 1989, 1st. Ex. Sess., No. 16, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1989, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 11, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 875, §1; Acts 1998, No. 64, §1; Acts 1999, No. 658, §1; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §2, eff. April 24, 2002; Acts 2004, No. 129, §1, eff. July 1, 2004.