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House delays Metro funding formula bill after fiscal-note questions about Transportation Trust Fund impact
Summary
Delegates questioned the fiscal note on House Bill 467, which rebases WMATA capital contributions for inflation and could increase Maryland's contribution by tens of millions; the measure was moved to the session's second sitting for possible amendment.
House Bill 467, a measure to rebase the Metro (WMATA) capital grant formula for inflation, was special ordered to the second session after delegates pressed committee staff on a fiscal-note scenario that could shift tens of millions of dollars from the Transportation Trust Fund to WMATA contributions.
The move came after a delegate asked whether the fiscal noteassumes that Virginia and the District of Columbia enact identical changes. The floor leader confirmed the fiscal analysis and staff clarified the bill would increase Maryland's share of a long-standing $500 million baseline by adjusting for inflation; the bill is contingent on analogous enactments by DC and Virginia. The floor leader said the first-year change could be about $58 million.
Why it matters: Delegates said the additional payment, if triggered, would reduce funding available for projects statewide that draw from the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF). One delegate asked whether the House could brief itself further before final action, and successfully moved to special order the bill to the second session to allow consideration of possible amendments.
Key details and discussion - The clerk read the measure as House Bill 467, Metro Funding Modification Act. A delegate asked whether the committee report and fiscal note were accurate representations of committee action; staff confirmed they were. - Committee staff described how the bill rebases the original three-jurisdiction formula to account for inflation and said Maryland's share is roughly 32% of the rebased amount. The staff cited a $58 million approximate increase in the first year if the other jurisdictions enact comparable changes. - Delegates repeatedly emphasized the contingency: the bill "does not take effect until Maryland, DC and Virginia pass it" and thus the increase only occurs if the other jurisdictions act. - After the exchange, a delegate moved and the House voted to special order HB 467 to the second session for potential amendment.
Votes and formal action - Motion: Move HB 467 to the second session (special order). - Mover: Delegate (floor motion recorded on the floor) - Outcome: approved ("The bill has been special." by voice vote) - Notes: action recorded in the floor transcript; the bill remains contingent on other jurisdictions' actions.
Ending House Bill 467 will return for further consideration in the second session, giving delegates additional time to consider amendments and the fiscal implications of an increased WMATA contribution that would reduce Transportation Trust Fund capacity for other projects.
