Legislative counsel walks committee through finding Act 148, key deadlines and reporting for transportation programs

Damien, legislative counsel to the House Committee on Transportation, told the committee on Feb. 11 that he would "take you through the process of actually finding the act summary for last year's T bill and finding the other versions of the T bill," and then show where required reports and deadlines appear.

The demonstration focused on how to use the Legislature’s website to find actions and the unofficial “as passed” bill text, the act summary, committee activity and witness lists, calendars and journals, and the searchable reports database. Damien said two search keywords — "transportation" and "vehicle" — quickly narrowed results for transportation-related acts; last year’s transportation act was identified as Act 148.

The guidance is intended to help committee members and staff locate the statutory and session-law language they will use while preparing the fiscal year 2026 transportation program and tracking agency reporting requirements. Damien emphasized that the act summary provides a concise road map of the bill’s sections and the key dates for required reports, and recommended using the unofficial as-passed text to read enacted language without strikeouts.

He summarized the major components described in the Act 148 act summary: adoption of the Agency of Transportation’s (AOT) proposed transportation program as amended by the act; several investments aimed at greenhouse-gas reductions; AOT goals to convert heating systems from fossil fuels with milestones including 2035; adjustments to public-transit…