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Legislative Committee

Members: Reggie Smith (Chair), ,

This committee works with our legislative liaison to stay on top of Virginia legislative issues and help direct the Board and membership to influence the Legislature toward improving the quality of Virginia's public and human services transportation for all the citizens of the Commonwealth. If you want to make a difference, email a committee member with your suggestions or better yet JOIN the Committee!

Here are the results from the 2010 General Assembly Session:

Major Accomplishments for Transit this Session:

  • Eliminating budget language that would have reduced $60M in transit capital funds over the biennium adversely affecting all transit properties. 

 

  • Passage of HB 421 and budget language giving the Commonwealth Transportation Board the ability to shift up to 20% percentage of transit capital funds to transit operating (if needed to maintain service) in the event that state funds for transit operating are estimated to be less in the next fiscal year than in the current year. As an example, if that were the case next fiscal year, we estimated that could potentially mean a shift of up to $6 Million.     

 

Veto Session

1)     The Governor proposed and the General Assembly adopted technical amendments to HB 688 which increases penalties to $100 for boarding a transportation district train without paying fare and increases to $500 the civil fine for use of an invalid, improper or fraudulent ticket.  

 

2) Transportation Audit and Reviews

The Governor proposed and the General Assembly endorsed amendments to HB 42 and SB 201 that now directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a review of the Commonwealth’s planning and programming activities (This would include DRPT).  Previously the bills had directed JLARC to prepare and issue an RFP for a transportation audit and report the cost for a private firm to conduct the audit. 

 

In a press release Governor McDonnell’s administration identified private entitles the administration has contracted to conduct transportation review:

  • An independent performance audit of operations and maintenance practices at VDOT to be conducted by Cherry, Bekaert and Holland, LLP.
  • A review of research programs administered by the Virginia Transportation Research Council to be conducted by the Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center at the Federal Highway Administration.
  • A program assessment of the Virginia Public-Private Transportation Act program to develop standardized goals, processes, priorities and program delivery tools for these public-private projects. This review will be conducted by KPMG Corporate Finance, LLC.