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Transportation bill would make DOT secretary a gubernatorial appointee, speed reviews and expand funding tools
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Summary
Representative Crawford told the Ways and Means committee the Transportation Efficiency and Accountability Act would make the DOT secretary a gubernatorial appointee, broaden tolling and public–private options, reassign certain NEPA/environmental reviews to expedite projects, and allow voluntary transfers of nonessential state roads to local governments; the committee gave the amended bill a favorable report, 22 to 3.
Representative Crawford presented House Bill 5071 as an organizational modernization for the Department of Transportation, saying the measure would place the DOT secretary "under real executive leadership, making the secretary a gubernatorial appointee" and would "broaden DOT's toolbox for funding, tolling, contract options, procurement, and public private partnerships."
Crawford said the bill would reassess how some environmental reviews are handled, noting the measure would "reassign the NEPA process and certain environmental reviews to expedite some of the review processes." She emphasized the bill is intended as an efficiency and cleanup effort and said it "does not allow for the taking of an existing road for a toll road, and it does not raise any new fees beyond the EV fees that we've discussed." She described the proposed EV fees as "set at 400 for EVs and 200 for [plug-in hybrid]" on a biannual basis to align with neighboring states.
Members pressed on local impacts and financing options if counties choose to accept voluntary transfers of nonessential state highway miles. Crawford responded the transfers are voluntary, that some counties and municipalities may not opt in, and that counties taking those roads would be allowed to adjust certain local tax mechanisms (including millage) to cover road costs. She said the change also modifies how commissions are constituted by requiring certain commission members (CTCs) to live in the county they serve and to meet ethics requirements.
After adopting the subcommittee strike-all amendment — which Representative Crawford said becomes the bill — the committee conducted a roll-call vote and gave the amended bill a favorable report by 22 to 3.
The bill now moves beyond committee; several members requested additional local-finance details and stakeholder follow-up before any implementation steps.
