Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee advances SB 1544 to streamline regional transit funding and approve dismantler rule changes
Summary
The Senate Committee on Transportation on Feb. 16 adopted three amendments to SB 1544—including a dash 5 amendment that would let intergovernmental entities receive and administer STIF funds on behalf of counties and tribes—and moved the bill to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation; dismantler licensing renewal rules (dash 4) and accountability measures (dash 2) were also adopted.
Chair Gorsek opened the Senate Committee on Transportation meeting on Feb. 16 and led a public hearing and work session on Senate Bill 1544. Committee staff summarized the bill and described three amendments under consideration: dash 2 (accountability and reporting, including a "Transportation University" and a Washington-state-style "gray notebook" performance database), dash 4 (changes to local approval for dismantler license renewals), and dash 5 (allowing intergovernmental entities to be designated as qualified entities for distribution of Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund, STIF, dollars).
Doug Riggs, representing the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), told the committee COIC operates Cascades East Transit across three counties and tribal partners and said the dash 5 amendment addresses an administrative mismatch between how service is delivered and how STIF funds are currently administered. "This particular proposal to cite an intergovernmental entity as a qualified entity for the purposes of transportation funding is not new," Riggs said, adding the measure would reduce administrative complexity while preserving county and tribal authority to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
