Senate Bill NO. 2211

By Representative(s) Committee

SECTION 1. Section 65-37-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-37-7. (1) In order for a county to be eligible for the expenditure of funds under the provisions of Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15, the board of supervisors of the county shall meet the following conditions:

(a) On or before January 1, 1995, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter, the board of supervisors shall present to the State Aid Engineer on a form to be prepared by the State Aid Engineer, a four-year plan of bridge replacement and rehabilitation for the county. The plan shall identify the project or projects and shall contain a detailed plan prepared and approved by the engineer for the county. The plan shall specify the condition of the existing bridges included in the project, the drainage requirements, the type of replacement or rehabilitation to be made and the design and specifications therefor. Four-year plans may be modified each year or more often as necessary provided that the modifications are submitted to the State Aid Engineer.

(b) The county shall agree to employ a qualified engineer and such other technical experts as may be necessary to perform all engineering services required for the projects. The engineer shall be required to inspect the construction of the projects and to approve all estimate payments made on the projects.

(c) The county and municipalities shall agree to construct, at their own expense, the base and surface of all approaches providing necessary connections to each bridge project within their respective jurisdictions, including the base and surface for culvert projects whenever fill material is placed as part of the contract.

(d) The county and municipalities shall agree, at their own expense, to acquire all rights-of-way and relocate or make adjustments to public utilities for each bridge project within their respective jurisdictions as may be necessary in the manner provided by law for the acquisition of rights-of-way and the uniform policy for accommodation of utility facilities within the rights-of-way of state aid roads as adopted by the State Aid Engineer under authority of Section 65-9-1 et seq. Rights-of-way may be acquired by gift, purchase, deed, dedication or eminent domain; however, no part of the costs of rights-of-way or utility adjustments may be paid from funds provided under Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15.

(2) A county shall not be eligible for the expenditure of monies allocated to it under Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15 and the State Aid Engineer shall not certify the use or expenditure of such monies on any bridge that has a sufficiency rating of greater than fifty (50), as determined by National Bridge Inspection standards, unless the State Aid Engineer certifies that all bridges on the local road system within the county for which funds may be made available under Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15 have a sufficiency rating of greater than fifty (50) or that all such bridges in the county with a sufficiency rating of less than fifty (50) are currently under contract for replacement or rehabilitation. When the State Aid Engineer certifies that all such bridges of a county have a sufficiency rating of greater than fifty (50) or that all such bridges within the county with a sufficiency rating of fifty (50) or less are currently under contract for replacement or rehabilitation, then that county shall be eligible for the expenditure of funds allocated to it under Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15 for the maintenance and replacement of other drainage related structures in accordance with designs and standards prescribed for such projects by the Office of State Aid Road Construction.

SECTION 2. Section 65-37-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-37-13. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund." The fund shall consist of such monies as the Legislature appropriates pursuant to subsection (2) of this section and such other monies as the Legislature may designate for deposit in the fund. Monies in the fund may be expended upon legislative appropriation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15.

(2) (a) During each regular legislative session held in calendar years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, if the official General Fund revenue estimate for the succeeding fiscal year for which appropriations are being made reflects a growth in General Fund revenues of three percent (3%) or more for that succeeding fiscal year, then the Legislature shall appropriate Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00) from the State General Fund for deposit into the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund.

(b) During the regular legislative session held in calendar year 1999, if the official General Fund revenue estimate for the succeeding fiscal year for which appropriations are being made reflects a growth in General Fund revenues of three percent (3%) or more for the succeeding fiscal year, then the Legislature shall appropriate Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) from the State General Fund for deposit into the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund.

(c) During each regular legislative session held in calendar years 2000 through 2003, if the official General Fund revenue estimate for the succeeding fiscal year for which appropriations are being made reflects a growth in General Fund revenues of three percent (3%) or more for the succeeding fiscal year, then the Legislature shall appropriate Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) from the State General Fund for deposit into the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund.

(3) Such monies as are deposited in the fund under the provisions of this section may be expended upon requisition therefor by the State Aid Engineer in accordance with the provisions of Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

(4) Monies in the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund shall be allocated and become available for distribution to counties in accordance with the formula prescribed in Section 65-37-3 beginning January 1, 1995, on a project-by-project basis. However, an eligible county may be credited in advance of normal accrual to finance local bridge program improvements, subject to the approval of the State Aid Engineer and subject further to the following limitations:

(a) That the maximum amount of local bridge program funds that may be advanced to any county shall not exceed ninety percent (90%) of the local bridge program funds estimated to accrue to the county during the remainder of the term of office of the board of supervisors of the county;

(b) That no advance credit of funds will be made to any county when the unobligated balance in the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund is less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00); and

(c) That such advance crediting of funds be effected by the State Aid Engineer at the time of the approval of the plans and specifications for the proposed bridge program improvements.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the balance on hand in the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund be used to the fullest practicable extent. Monies in the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Fund may not be used or expended for any purpose except as authorized under Sections 65-37-1 through 65-37-15.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 65-37-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS UNDER THE LOCAL SYSTEM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM ON BRIDGES WITH A SUFFICIENCY RATING OF 50 OR LESS; TO AMEND SECTION 65-37-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROPRIATE TO THE LOCAL SYSTEM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION FUND $10,000,000.00 AT THE REGULAR SESSION HELD IN CALENDAR YEAR 1999, AND $20,000,000.00 AT EACH REGULAR SESSION HELD THEREAFTER THROUGH CALENDAR YEAR 2003, IF THE OFFICIAL GENERAL FUND REVENUE ESTIMATE FOR THE SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEAR FOR WHICH APPROPRIATIONS ARE BEING MADE REFLECTS A GROWTH IN GENERAL FUND REVENUES OF THREE PERCENT (3%) OR MORE; TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE AID ENGINEER, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, TO CREDIT MONIES IN THE LOCAL SYSTEM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION FUND TO ELIGIBLE COUNTIES IN ADVANCE OF NORMAL ACCRUAL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.