IIB
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3960
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 29, 2010
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
AN ACT
To clarify the existing authority of, and as necessary provide express authorization for, public authorities to offer discounts in transportation tolls to captive tollpayers, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Residential and Commuter Toll Fairness
Act of 2010
.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
Residents of, and regular commuters to, certain localities in the United States are subject to a transportation toll when using a transportation facility to access or depart the locality.
Revenue generated from these tolls is sometimes used to support infrastructure maintenance and capital improvement projects that benefit not only the users of these transportation facilities, but the regional and national economy as well.
Certain localities in the United States are situated on islands, peninsulas, or other areas in which transportation access is substantially constrained by geography, sometimes leaving residents of, or regular commuters to, these localities with no reasonable means of accessing or departing their neighborhood or place of employment without paying a transportation toll.
Residents of, or regular commuters to, these localities often pay far more for transportation access than residents of, and commuters to, other areas for similar transportation options, and these increased transportation costs can impose a significant and unfair burden on these residents and commuters.
To address this inequality, and to reduce the financial hardship often imposed on captive tollpayers, several public authorities have developed and implemented programs to provide discounts in transportation tolls.
Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to clarify the existing authority of, and as necessary provide express authorization for, public authorities to offer discounts in transportation tolls to captive tollpayers.
Transportation tolls
Authority To provide discounts
A public authority is authorized to carry out a program that offers discounts in transportation tolls to captive tollpayers.
Limitations on statutory construction
Nothing in this Act may be construed to—
limit any other authority of a public authority, including the authority to offer discounts in transportation tolls to other tollpayers; or
affect, alter, or limit the applicability of a State or local law with respect to the authority of a public authority to impose toll discounts.
Definitions
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
Captive tollpayer
The term captive tollpayer means an individual who—
is a resident of, or regular commuter to, a locality in the United States that is situated on an island, peninsula, or other area where transportation access is substantially constrained by geography; and
is subject to a transportation toll when using a transportation facility to access or depart the locality.
Public authority
The term public authority has the meaning given that term by section 101 of title 23, United States Code.
Transportation facility
The term transportation facility includes a road, highway, bridge, rail, bus, or ferry facility.
Transportation toll
The term transportation toll means a toll or fare required for use of a transportation facility.
Passed the House of Representatives September 28, 2010.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk