SLS 17RS-123 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 57
BY SENATOR CORTEZ
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
FUNDS/FUNDING. Constitutional amendment to remove authority to fund state police for
traffic control from the Transportation Trust Fund. (2/3 - CA13s1(A))
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2 Proposing to amend Article VII, Section 27(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to
3 the Transportation Trust Fund; to remove authority to appropriate or dedicate monies
4 in the trust fund to state police for traffic control purposes; and to specify an election
5 for submission of the proposition to electors and provide a ballot proposition.
6 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
7 elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state, for
8 their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to amend Article VII,
9 Section 27(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
10 ยง27. Transportation Trust Fund
11 Section 27. * * *
12 (B) The monies in the trust fund shall be appropriated or dedicated solely and
13 exclusively for the costs for and associated with construction and maintenance of the
14 roads and bridges of the state and federal highway systems, the Statewide
15 Flood-Control Program or its successor, ports, airports, transit, state police for traffic
16 control purposes, and the Parish Transportation Fund or its successor and for the
17 payment of all principal, interest, premium, if any, and other obligations incident to
Page 1 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 57
SLS 17RS-123 ORIGINAL
1 the issuance, security, and payment in respect of bonds or other obligations payable
2 from the trust fund as authorized in Paragraph (D) hereof. Unless pledged to the
3 repayment of bonds authorized in Paragraphs (C) or (D) of this Section, the monies
4 in the trust fund allocated to ports, airports, flood control, parish transportation, and
5 state highway construction shall be appropriated annually by the legislature only
6 pursuant to programs established by law which establish a system of priorities for the
7 expenditure of such monies, except that the Transportation Infrastructure Model for
8 Economic Development, which shall include only those projects enumerated in
9 House Bill 17 of the 1989 First Extraordinary Session of the Legislature and US
10 Highway 61 from Thompson Creek to the Mississippi Line, in lieu of "US 61-Bains
11 to Mississippi Line", and US Highway 165 from I-10 to Alexandria to Monroe to
12 Bastrop and thence on US Highway 425 from Bastrop to the Arkansas Line, in lieu
13 of "US 165-I-10 Alexandria-Monroe-Bastrop-Arkansas Line" and LA 15-Natchez,
14 Mississippi to Chase in lieu of "LA 15-Natchez, Mississippi to Monroe", shall be
15 funded as provided by law. The state generated tax monies appropriated for ports,
16 Parish Transportation Fund, or its successor, and the Statewide Flood-Control
17 Program, or its successor, and state police for traffic control purposes shall not
18 exceed twenty percent annually of the state generated tax revenues in the trust fund;
19 provided, however, that no less than the avails of one cent of the tax on gasoline and
20 special fuels shall be appropriated each year to the Parish Transportation Fund, or its
21 successor. The annual appropriation for airports shall be a sum equal to, but not
22 greater than, the annual estimated revenue to be derived from the state taxes to be
23 collected and received on aviation fuel. Unencumbered and unexpended balances at
24 the end of each fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund. The earnings realized in
25 each fiscal year on the investment of monies in the trust fund shall be deposited in
26 and credited to the trust fund.
27 * * *
28 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
29 to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 6,
Page 2 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 57
SLS 17RS-123 ORIGINAL
1 2018.
2 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at said election
3 there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
4 to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
5 follows:
6 Do you support an amendment to remove authority to appropriate or dedicate
7 monies in the Transportation Trust Fund to state police for traffic control
8 purposes?
9 (Amends Article VII, Section 27(B))
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Sharon F. Lyles.
DIGEST
SB 57 Original 2017 Regular Session Cortez
Present constitution authorizes monies in the Transportation Trust Fund to be appropriated
or dedicated for costs for and associated with construction and maintenance of roads and
bridges in the state and federal highway systems, the Statewide Flood-Control Program,
ports, airports, transit, state police for traffic control purposes, and the Parish Transportation
Fund.
Proposed constitutional amendment removes the authority to appropriate or dedicate monies
in the Transportation Trust Fund to state police for traffic control purposes.
Specifies submission of the amendment to the voters at the statewide election to be held on
November 6, 2018.
(Amends Const. Art. VII, Sec. 27(B))
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.