02/05/2025

House Bill 54

Lead Sponsors: Representative Brian Stewart

Status: Passed House (February 26), Senate hearings ongoing

Description: The Transportation Budget funds transportation-related programs and changes transportation-related policies.

The budget expects motor fuel tax distributions to counties to equal $4.1 million per county in SFY 2026 and $4.2 million in SFY 2027. Other notable provisions for counties in the transportation budget include:

• Allows the board of directors for a regional transit authority to adopt a policy not to require board approval for contracts less than $250,000 (tied to the “simplified acquisition threshold” definition in 41 USC 134).
  
  
• Continues the Workforce Mobility Partnership Program, which provides grants to RTAs for workforce mobility initiatives. Appropriates $13.5 million in each year for the program.
• Requires ODOT to create a Division of Advanced Air Mobility to focus on, among other aims, support law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services.
  • Advanced Air Mobility aircraft is an umbrella term for aircraft commonly referred to air taxis.
• Requires ODOT to notify the applicable board of county commissioners of a chip seal or fog seal project at least 30 days before the project is competitively bid or before the project is started via force account.
  
  
• Appropriates $9 million in each fiscal year for Transportation Improvement Districts.
  
  
• Appropriates $3 million in each fiscal year for Regional Transportation Planning Organizations.
  
  
• Authorizes ODOT to enter into agreements with political subdivisions for the provision of snow and ice removal, maintenance and repair, and lighting on interstate highways within the subdivision’s boundaries, as long as the services meet federal requirements. Additionally authorizes the Department to reimburse the subdivisions for all or part of the costs incurred for these services.
  
  
• Modifies two appropriations made under the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund:
  • Requires all of the $5 million appropriated to the Indian Lake Advocacy Group to be used for the current needs of Indian Lake water quality, infestations, dredging, or creation of enhanced waterways and erosion control.
  • Eliminates the appropriation of $3.5 million for Flats River Development
    
    
• Increases bond authority for the State Capital Improvement Program by $15 million and earmarks the amount for grants to communities with road-slip emergency projects on non-state roads or on locally-maintained routes and interstates.
  
  
• Allows vehicles owned and operated by a political subdivision to possess a portable signal preemption device and authorizes their usage during Level 2 and Level 3 weather emergencies.
  • Signal preemption devices can change a traffic light from red to green out of its regular sequence.
    
    
• Prohibits counties from operating a traffic camera program.
  • According to LSC, there are no counties that currently have a traffic camera program.