A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to create the good roads commission to study transportation financing, funding, planning, and management issues.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Good Roads Study Commission. (a) Study Commission Established. – There is established a Good Roads Issues Study Commission to report to the 2008 Regular Session of the 2007 General Assembly.
SECTION 1.(a)  Membership. – The Study Commission shall be composed of members as follows:
(1)	The Chairs of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee.
(2)	A Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(3)	A Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(4)	A Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(5)	A Chair of the House Finance Committee, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(6)	Two members of the Senate with one appointed by the Senate Majority Leader and one appointed by the Senate Minority Leader.
(7)	Two members of the House with one appointed by the House Majority Leader and one appointed by the House Minority Leader.
(8)	One member nominated by the League of Municipalities, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(9)	One member nominated by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(10)	Five public members appointed by the Governor; one of whom shall be professionally engaged in environmental engineering, one of whom shall be actively engaged in highway construction, one of whom shall be knowledgeable in public financing, one of whom shall be professionally involved with urban transportation management, and one of whom shall be actively involved with rural economic development.
The appointing authorities shall make their appointments to reflect the urban‑rural diversity of the population of the State, within 30 days of the effective date of this act.
SECTION 1.(c)  Duties of the Study Commission. – The Commission shall study all aspects of transportation, including planning and scheduling of projects, legislative and executive oversight, revenues, funding, and expenditures of the Highway Fund, the Highway Trust Fund, and Federal Aid programs for transportation. The study shall include an examination of all the following:
(1)	The effectiveness of legislative oversight of the Department of Transportation and all other transportation‑related programs in North Carolina.
(2)	The gap between transportation funding structures and the actual transportation needs of the State.
(3)	Historical and projected application of funds within the several transportation funding sources.
(4)	Deficiencies in matching funding and expenditures between the several Funds.
(5)	Economic feasibility of alternate transportation modes, including cost/benefit comparisons of planning, construction, and operation of alternate transportation programs.
(6)	Alternative methods of funding, financing, and planning transportation construction, maintenance, and operations.
(7)	Delivery of construction and maintenance projects, including alternative management structures, outsourcing, and privatization.
(8)	Any other issue related to transportation, transportation funding, project planning, and management of transportation programs.
SECTION 1.(d)  Vacancies. – The appointing authority shall fill any vacancy on the Study Commission.
SECTION 1.(e)  Cochairs. – The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate Cochairs of the Study Commission. The Study Commission shall meet upon the call of the Cochairs. A quorum of the Study Commission shall be a majority of the members.
SECTION 1.(f)  Expenses of Members. – Members of the Study Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances in accordance with G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, or 138‑6, as appropriate.
SECTION 1.(g)  Staff. – The Legislative Services Office shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist the Study Commission in its work.
SECTION 1.(h)  Consultants. – The Study Commission may hire consultants to examine specific issues and subjects related to the study, in accordance with G.S. 120‑32.02.
SECTION 1.(i)  Meetings During Legislative Session. – The Study Commission may meet during a regular or extra session of the General Assembly.
SECTION 1.(j)  Meeting Location. – The Study Commission may meet at various locations around the State in order to promote greater public participation in its deliberations. The Legislative Services Commission shall grant adequate meeting space to the Study Commission in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
SECTION 1.(k)  Report. – The Commission may make interim reports and shall make a final report to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2008. Regardless of whether it has filed an interim or final report, the Commission shall terminate on November 1, 2008. The final report shall include Commission recommendations for legislation to implement recommendations made by the Commission.
SECTION 1.(l)  Funding. – The Study Commission shall be funded from funds available to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, in accordance with G.S. 120‑70.52.
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.