Committee moves rail-enhancement placeholder forward to rules; members describe three subprograms
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Summary
Lawmakers advanced a bill to create a rail-enhancement placeholder in the budget—containing large rail capital projects, a Rail Preservation Fund for short-line maintenance, and a Rail Industrial Access Fund—and sent it to rules by voice vote; the measure does not itself appropriate funds and would be subject to future appropriations.
Unidentified Speaker 2 summarized a bill the committee reviewed previously (formerly SB 89) that would create a rail-enhancement placeholder in the budget to identify and track potential state investment in freight rail. The chair said the vehicle would have three components: funding for large rail improvement capital projects to support safety and economic development; a Rail Preservation Fund focused on small maintenance projects and short-line preservation; and a Rail Industrial Access Fund to build infrastructure connecting industry to rail lines.
Speaker 2 emphasized the placeholder imposes no automatic appropriation and that any expenditures would be subject to future appropriations by the governor and legislature. Unidentified Speaker 3 asked whether the program would include Amtrak; Speaker 2 confirmed it covers freight rail only. Milton, identified as representing the rail industry and the rail association, told the committee that HB 170 monies would not be used for this initiative and said potential funding would come from the general fund or other sources to be identified as part of future work.
After discussion the committee recorded a motion and second to move the bill forward; the measure was advanced to rules by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.