State legislation would provide $200M for road, bridge infrastructure

Legislation recently introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would provide an additional $200 million during the 2022-23 fiscal year for road and bridge projects.

House Bill 2495 would shift $300 million in Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) funding from the Motor License Fund (MLF) to the General Fund.

The Fiscal Code requires an annual reduction of PSP funding from the MLF by 4 percent per fiscal year until $500 million is reached during fiscal year 2027-28.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials testified at a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing that the state will receive $4 billion over the next five years for highway projects from the federal infrastructure bill. This will require a state match of approximately $930 million.

Gov. Tom Wolf suggested a reduction of $500 million, but that still leaves the state $544 million short of the state match requirement.

“The governor has suggested the Legislature should consider new or increased transportation-related taxes and tolls to provide additional funding to the MLF,” Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), a House Appropriations Committee member who introduced the bill, said. “However, taxpayers cannot afford any of the governor’s proposed increases, and it is time for the commonwealth to properly budget PSP funding from the General Fund and use the MLF for its intended purpose.”