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25LSO-0192
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0192
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0230
Wyoming interstate study and safe highways investment act.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Brown, L, Clouston, Geringer, Larson, JT, Nicholas and Wylie and Senator(s) Barlow and Pappas
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to highways; creating the interstate highways traffic study task force; specifying members and duties of the task force; providing a termination date for the task force; requiring a report; providing for the planning, design and construction of highways as specified; authorizing investment of state funds in transportation construction loans; providing a funding guarantee by modifying the distribution of revenues; providing appropriations; providing for the transfer of funds; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
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W.S. 9
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420 is created to read:
9
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1
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420.
Legislative stabilization reserve account highway construction loans; maximum amount; repayment.
(a)
With the approval of the state loan and investment board, the state treasurer shall be authorized to invest not more than two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000.00) from the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund to provide loans to the department of transportation for purposes of funding the construction of one (1) or more highways approved by the transportation commission. The authority to invest funds under this subsection shall remain in effect until June 30, 2029.
(b)
The interest rates on the loans authorized under subsection (a) of this section shall be at a fixed interest rate determined by the state treasurer to be reasonably commensurate with the rates of return of the asset class for which the monies would be otherwise invested. The amounts invested in loans under subsection (a) of this section shall be repaid as provided by subsection (e) of this section.
(c)
Amounts invested in loans under subsection (a) of this section shall be public purpose investments under W.S. 9
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715(n).
(d)
In addition to the amounts invested in loans specified in subsection (a) of this section, the transportation commission shall direct any available federal highway safety funds to the construction of one (1) or more highways approved by the transportation commission.
(e)
Beginning on June 30, 2026 and June 30 of each fiscal year thereafter until the amounts invested in loans under this section are repaid, the state auditor shall transfer fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) or as much thereof as is available and required to repay the outstanding amounts invested in loans this section, plus any interest as determined by the state treasurer under subsection (b) of this section and certified to the state auditor, from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund for purposes of repaying the amounts invested in loans under this section. The state treasurer shall cease transferring funds to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund when the amounts due under this section are repaid. The transfer under this subsection may be in an amount less than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00).
Section 2.
W.S. 9
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719(b)(intro) and (i) is amended to read:
9
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719.
Investment earnings; spending policy; permanent funds.
(b)
There is created the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund reserve account. All funds within the account shall be invested by the state treasurer as authorized under W.S. 9
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715(a), (d), (e) and (r) and all investment earnings from the account shall be credited to the account.
Except for funds specified by the legislature that guarantee the obligations of permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund investment earnings and funds to be transferred into the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund, funds deposited into the reserve account created by this subsection are intended to be inviolate and constitute a permanent or perpetual trust fund. Beginning July 1, 2021 for fiscal year 2022 and each fiscal year thereafter, to the extent funds are available, the state treasurer shall transfer unobligated funds from this account to the general fund on a quarterly, pro
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rata basis as necessary to ensure that an amount equal to two and one
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half percent (2.5%) of the previous five (5) year average market value of the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund, calculated on the first day of the fiscal year, is available for expenditure during each fiscal year. As soon as possible after the end of each of the fiscal years beginning on and after July 1, 2017, after making any transfer required pursuant to paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection, revenues in this account in excess of two hundred forty
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five percent (245%) of the spending policy amount in subsection (d) of this section shall be credited to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund. For fiscal year
2020
2025
and for each fiscal year thereafter:
(i)
As soon as practicable after the end of the fiscal year, after making any other transfers provided by law from the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund reserve account, but prior to calculating the balance of the account under this subsection, the state treasurer shall transfer from the account
:
(A)
A
n amount equal to the difference between the maximum amount which may be credited to the strategic investments and projects account pursuant to subsection (q) of this section and the amount actually credited to that account in the applicable fiscal year;
(B)
An amount equal to the difference between the maximum amount that may be credited to the legislative stabilization reserve account under subsection (q) of this section and the amount actually credited to that account in the applicable fiscal year.
Section 3.
(a)
Upon approval by the transportation commission, the planning, design and construction of the following projects shall be authorized for the funds made available under W.S. 9
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420:
(i)
The creation of passing lanes, where appropriate, on the portion of United States highway 20 between Casper, Wyoming and Waltman, Wyoming;
(ii)
The creation of passing lanes, where appropriate, on the portion of United States highway 20 between Waltman, Wyoming and Shoshoni, Wyoming;
(iii)
The creation of passing lanes, where appropriate, on the portion of the United States highway 20 between Shoshoni, Wyoming and Thermopolis, Wyoming;
(iv)
The portion of United States highway 287 between Laramie, Wyoming and the Colorado state line that consists of only two (2) lanes in order to make that portion of the highway four (4) lanes;
(v)
The portion of Wyoming Highway 59 between Wright, Wyoming and Gillette, Wyoming to make that portion of the highway five (5) lanes;
(vi)
An alternative paved highway from Rock Springs to Green River on the north side of Interstate 80.
Section 4.
(a)
There is created the interstate highways traffic study task force to consist of the following members:
(i)
Members of the legislature as follows:
(A)
Three (3) members of the Wyoming house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house. The speaker of the house shall designate one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph to be co
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chairman of the task force;
(B)
Three (3) members of the Wyoming senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph to be co
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chairman of the task force.
(ii)
Members of the Wyoming state government, as follows:
(A)
The governor or his designee;
(B)
The director of the department of transportation or the director's designee;
(C)
The director of the department of tourism or the director's designee.
(iii)
Members of the public appointed by the governor, as follows:
(A)
A member representing the trucking industry;
(B)
A member representing Wyoming local governments;
(C)
A member representing the mining industry;
(D)
A member representing the agriculture industry;
(E)
A member representing the construction industry;
(F)
A member representing the railroad industry.
(b)
The task force shall:
(i)
Study traffic and conditions on Wyoming's interstate highways, focusing specifically on Interstate 80;
(ii)
Study and consider methods for reducing traffic and highway deterioration on Wyoming's interstate highways, focusing specifically on Interstate 80, including:
(A)
A method that uses the railroad to transport commercial motor vehicles across areas served by interstate highways and requires commercial motor vehicles to pay a fee for the transportation;
(B)
A method that creates additional lanes on interstate highways.
(iii)
Study and explore funding strategies for the methods considered under paragraph (ii) of this subsection;
(iv)
Not later than July 1, 2026 report to the governor, management council and the joint transportation, highways and military affairs interim committee on the work of the task force, including any recommendations for legislation for consideration by an appropriate legislative committee.
(c)
The task force shall be staffed by the legislative service office.
(d)
The legislative members of the task force shall receive salary, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28
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101. Task force members who are state employees or government officials shall be considered to be acting within the scope of regular employment when conducting the official business of the task force and shall receive their regular pay without additional compensation, except that those members shall receive mileage and per diem as provided for other members of the task force under this subsection if they are not reimbursed by their employer. Task force members who are not state employees shall receive per diem and mileage in the amount provided for members of the legislature under W.S. 28
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101.
(e)
The task force shall terminate December 31, 2026.
Section 5.
(a)
There is appropriated twenty
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five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office for purposes of providing salary, mileage and per diem to the legislative members of the task force appointed under section 1(a)(i) of this act and for other expenses of the task force. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2027. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2027.
(b)
There is appropriated twenty
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five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) from the general fund to the office of the governor for purposes of providing mileage and per diem to the members of the task force appointed under section 1(a)(iii) of this act and for providing mileage and per diem for members of the task force appointed under section 1(a)(ii) of this act, subject to section 1(d) of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2027. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2027.
Section 6.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
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HB0230