SLS 17RS-123 REENGROSSED
2017 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 57
BY SENATORS CORTEZ AND THOMPSON
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 REENGROSSED
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 state-generated tax monies
16 appropriated for ports, Parish Transportation Fund, or its successor, and the
17 Statewide Flood-Control Program, or its successor, and state police for traffic control
18 purposes shall not exceed twenty percent annually of the state generated
19 state-generated tax revenues in the trust fund; provided, however, that no less than
20 the avails of one cent of the tax on gasoline and special fuels shall be appropriated
21 each year to the Parish Transportation Fund, or its successor. The annual
22 appropriation for airports shall be a sum equal to, but not greater than, the annual
23 estimated revenue to be derived from the state taxes to be collected and received on
24 aviation fuel. Unencumbered and unexpended balances at the end of each fiscal year
25 shall remain in the trust fund. The earnings realized in each fiscal year on the
26 investment of monies in the trust fund shall be deposited in and credited to the trust
27 fund.
28 * * *
29 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
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 REENGROSSED
1 to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the special election to be held on October 14, 2017,
2 if authorized by law enacted at the 2017 Regular Session of the Legislature, or if not so
3 authorized, to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on
4 November 6, 2018.
5 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at said election
6 there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
7 to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
8 follows:
9 Do you support an amendment to remove authority to appropriate or dedicate
10 monies in the Transportation Trust Fund to state police for traffic control
11 purposes?
12 (Amends Article VII, Section 27(B))
The original instrument was prepared by Sharon F. Lyles. The following
digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was
prepared by Cathy Wells.
DIGEST
SB 57 Reengrossed 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 a special election to be held on
Oct. 14, 2017, if authorized by law enacted in the 2017 Regular Session, or if not so
authorized, such amendment shall be submitted to the voters at the statewide election to be
held on November 6, 2018.
(Amends Const. Art. VII, Sec. 27(B))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Adds provision to require submission of the amendment to the voters at a
special election to be held on Oct. 14, 2017, if authorized by law enacted in
the 2017 Regular Session.
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.