1 HJR199
2 216658-4
3 By Representatives Rafferty, England, Hollis, Lawrence,
4 Daniels, Gray, Garrett, Farley, Shedd, Lee, Bracy, Alexander,
5 Lovvorn, Sorrells, Bedsole, Wilcox, Coleman, Morris,
6 Easterbrook, Rogers, Moore (M), Lipscomb, Oliver and Paschal
7 RFD: Rules
8 First Read: 29-MAR-22
Page 0 1 216658-4:n:03/17/2022:SLU/cr LSA2022-130R2
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT STUDY
9 COMMISSION.
10
11 WHEREAS, the federal Infrastructure Investment and
12 Jobs Act (Public Law No. 117-58) was signed into law on
13 November 15, 2021, providing significant federal investment in
14 the nation's infrastructure; and
15 WHEREAS, on January 27, 2021, the President of the
16 United States signed Executive Order 14008 creating the
17 Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the
18 overall benefits of relevant federal investments to
19 disadvantaged communities; and
20 WHEREAS, many disadvantaged communities across
21 Alabama need significant improvements in the areas of public
22 transit, broadband access, water systems, and climate
23 resilience; this commission would help ensure that federal
24 investments are equitably distributed; and
25 WHEREAS, the aforementioned federal investments
26 could help provide, among other things, improved sanitation
27 systems and drinking water, more reliable and affordable
Page 1 1 high-speed Internet access, and cleaner and safer
2 transportation systems to these disadvantaged communities; and
3 WHEREAS, the formation of a commission tasked with
4 identifying and communicating with disadvantaged and under
5 resourced communities would help ensure that these communities
6 derive benefit from the federal investments; now therefore,
7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
8 HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That there is created the
9 Infrastructure Investment Study Commission.
10 (a) The commission shall study and shall make
11 recommendations for infrastructure projects in disadvantaged
12 and under resourced communities in the state. For the purposes
13 of this resolution, "infrastructure" means all of the sectors
14 included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
15 including transportation, water, energy, broadband, and the
16 resilience and rehabilitation of the nation's natural
17 resources. For the purposes of this resolution, "disadvantaged
18 communities" means either a group of individuals living in
19 geographic proximity to one another, or a geographically
20 dispersed set of individuals, such as migrant workers or
21 Native Americans, where either type of group experiences
22 common conditions, and where such a group experiences, or is
23 characterized by, one or more of the conditions set out under
24 the "disadvantaged" description on pages 2 and 3 of the July
25 20, 2021, Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40
26 Initiative Memorandum (M-21-28) issued by the Executive Office
27 of the President, Office of Management and Budget. For
Page 2 1 purposes of this resolution, "infrastructure projects" means
2 infrastructure improvements funded by monies available due to
3 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The study
4 commission shall do all of the following:
5 (1) Identify disadvantaged and under resourced
6 communities throughout the state that could benefit from
7 infrastructure projects.
8 (2) Identify specific infrastructure deficiencies in
9 these disadvantaged and under resourced communities.
10 (3) Identify areas of assistance, as well as
11 agencies, community partners, and academic institutions that
12 will be able to provide assistance that disadvantaged and
13 under resourced communities may need to:
14 a. Apply for and secure funding for infrastructure
15 projects.
16 b. Manage and satisfy reporting obligations
17 associated with any infrastructure projects.
18 (4) Recommend infrastructure projects in its report
19 based upon its study that reflects input from disadvantaged
20 and under resourced communities and includes any
21 recommendations for eliminating procedural hurdles that
22 prevent the communities from applying for and securing the
23 associated funding.
24 (5) Identify current programs and agencies through
25 which infrastructure dollars could be administered and
26 distributed for and to the identified disadvantaged and under
27 resourced communities.
Page 3 1 (b) The commission shall be comprised of the
2 following members:
3 (1) One member of the House of Representatives
4 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
5 (2) One member of the House of Representatives
6 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
7 Representatives.
8 (3) One member of the Senate appointed by the
9 President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
10 (4) One member of the Senate appointed by the
11 Minority Leader of the Senate.
12 (5) The Director of the Alabama Department of
13 Environmental Management, or his or her designee.
14 (6) The Director of the Alabama Department of
15 Transportation, or his or her designee.
16 (7) The State Health Officer of the Alabama
17 Department of Public Health, or his or her designee.
18 (8) The Director of the Alabama Department of
19 Economic and Community Affairs, or his or her designee.
20 (9) The Director of the Alabama Department of
21 Finance, or his or her designee.
22 (10) One member of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater
23 Board.
24 (11) Two civic leaders from disadvantaged and under
25 resourced communities appointed by the Governor.
26 (12) The Director of the Alabama Department of
27 Conservation and Natural Resources, or his or her designee.
Page 4 1 (c) The appointing authorities shall coordinate
2 their appointments to assure the commission membership is
3 inclusive and reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban,
4 rural, and economic diversity of the state.
5 (d) The chair and the vice chair of the commission
6 shall be elected at the first meeting of the commission, which
7 shall be called by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
8 no later than 30 days following the effective date of this
9 act. The commission shall thereafter meet at the call of the
10 chair, or on a motion of a majority of its members.
11 (e) The Legislature shall provide appropriate
12 staffing for the commission.
13 (f) The commission shall provide a preliminary
14 report to the Legislature and the Governor on or before
15 December 31, 2022, and a final report of its findings,
16 conclusions, and recommendations to the Legislature and the
17 Governor on or before December 31, 2023, at which time the
18 commission shall be dissolved.
19 (g) The legislative members of the commission shall
20 be entitled to their legislative compensation, per diem, and
21 travel expenses for each day that they attend a meeting of the
22 commission, in accordance with Amendment 871 of the
23 Constitution of Alabama of 1901.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
25 resolution shall be delivered to the President of the United
26 States and the Alabama Congressional Delegation.
Page 5