| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 112 2809 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 131 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Park of the 107 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Jackson of the 128 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Griffin of the 149 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Clark of the |
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| 10 | 10 | | 108 |
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| 11 | 11 | | th |
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| 12 | 12 | | , Herring of the 145 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and others |
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| 15 | 15 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Expressing support for the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank; and for other purposes. |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1 |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) stated in its 2021 report card2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | that the United States received a grade of C- regarding the current state of infrastructure and3 |
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| 20 | 20 | | that more than six trillion dollars would be needed to restore the nation's infrastructure to a4 |
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| 21 | 21 | | state of good repair. Over three trillion dollars is currently not funded, and the remainder is5 |
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| 22 | 22 | | inadequately funded. New 21st Century projects are unfunded; and6 |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, the State of Georgia received a C+ grade from the ASCE in 2024. Transit was7 |
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| 24 | 24 | | graded D, Roads C+, Storm water C-, Wastewater C-, Dams D+, Aviation C+, Drinking8 |
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| 25 | 25 | | water C+, and Solid Waste C+; and9 |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, half of all Georgians do not have access to public sewer service, and wastewater10 |
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| 27 | 27 | | needs total $2.7 billion; Atlanta ranks No. 8 nationally in traffic congestion (average cost per11 |
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| 28 | 28 | | driver is $1,510 per year); and12 |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, more than 654,000 renters pay more than 30 percent of their income toward13 |
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| 30 | 30 | | rent, and there is a shortage of at least 214,000 new units of affordable rental homes in the14 |
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| 31 | 31 | | state for the most housing insecure; and15 |
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| 32 | 32 | | H. R. 131 |
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| 33 | 33 | | - 1 - 25 LC 112 2809 |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, there are at least 86,000 lead service lines in Georgia, 31,000 of which are in |
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| 35 | 35 | | 16 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Atlanta, requiring $1 billion to replace; and17 |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Congress introduced HR 4052, The National Infrastructure Bank Act, to create18 |
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| 38 | 38 | | a new National Infrastructure Bank (NIB). It will be capitalized by existing Treasury debt19 |
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| 39 | 39 | | and require no new federal appropriations or federal taxes. It will invest five trillion dollars20 |
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| 40 | 40 | | into infrastructure only and create 25 million new high-wage jobs; and21 |
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| 41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, the NIB is modeled on previous banks that helped build much of our22 |
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| 42 | 42 | | infrastructure under Presidents George Washington, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, and23 |
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| 43 | 43 | | Franklin D. Roosevelt. The last such bank helped bring us out of the Depression and win24 |
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| 44 | 44 | | World War II; and25 |
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| 45 | 45 | | WHEREAS, the NIB will address all the infrastructure needs of the State of Georgia not26 |
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| 46 | 46 | | covered by existing state or federal funding. It will repair all hard infrastructure, including27 |
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| 47 | 47 | | roads, bridges, schools, all needed affordable housing units, sewers, lead service lines,28 |
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| 48 | 48 | | drinking water, and much more. It will build new projects, including expanded passenger and29 |
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| 49 | 49 | | high-speed rail service; and30 |
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| 50 | 50 | | WHEREAS, the NIB will pay prevailing wages and enforce a Buy America policy. It will31 |
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| 51 | 51 | | massively expand small and medium-sized businesses in the state and ensure significant32 |
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| 52 | 52 | | participation of Disadvantaged Minority Enterprises. The NIB will invest in rural and urban33 |
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| 53 | 53 | | communities. Economists estimate the bank will grow the economy by 5 percent per year,34 |
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| 54 | 54 | | as did its predecessors; and35 |
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| 55 | 55 | | WHEREAS, many organizations have issued statements of support. Twenty-nine state36 |
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| 56 | 56 | | legislatures filed or passed resolutions, as have county and city councils. Endorsements37 |
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| 57 | 57 | | H. R. 131 |
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| 58 | 58 | | - 2 - 25 LC 112 2809 |
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| 59 | 59 | | include: The National Black Caucus of State Legislators; The National Hispanic Caucus of |
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| 60 | 60 | | 38 |
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| 61 | 61 | | State Legislators; The National Asian-Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators; The39 |
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| 62 | 62 | | Georgia State Council of Machinists; IUEC-Elevator Constructors Local 32, Atlanta; the40 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Central Georgia Central Labor Council; NADO; the United Association of Plumbers and41 |
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| 64 | 64 | | Steamfitters; the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers; The National Association of42 |
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| 65 | 65 | | Minority Contractors; The United States High Speed Rail Association; and many more.43 |
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| 66 | 66 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that44 |
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| 67 | 67 | | the members of this body support HR 4052 or any equivalent congressional legislation made45 |
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| 68 | 68 | | to create a National Infrastructure Bank to finance urgently needed infrastructure projects.46 |
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| 69 | 69 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized47 |
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| 70 | 70 | | and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the48 |
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| 71 | 71 | | Georgia delegation to Congress, the Governor, and to the President of the United States.49 |
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| 72 | 72 | | H. R. 131 |
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| 73 | 73 | | - 3 - |
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