• Creates the Rural Highway Fund and transfers $1,000,000,000 into the fund. Eighty percent of this fund will be used to finance projects on rural state highways and twenty percent will be used for local governments as local matching funds for TRAC eligibility.
• Removes a provision that allows ODOT to reject a best-value bidder for a design-build contract if it is determined not to be in the state’s best interest and reverts to current practice.
• Permits a community that is not part of a Transportation Improvement District (TID) to contribute toward the financing of a TID project
• Increases the earmark in 772442, Highway Construction – Federal, to be used by Regional Transportation Planning Organizations to $10 M per year.
• Allows a TID to enter into an agreement with a group of contiguous counties, if the project is partially contained in each of the counties and has received federal funding.
• Adds an analysis of transportation links between Columbus and Sandusky to the Strategic Transportation and Development Analysis.
• Specifies that the plan for high-speed passenger transportation must provide for connection points determined by the Commission, rather than only for connection of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
• Removes provisions of the bill that allow ODOT projects involving Transportation Facilities to be bid as design-build contracts.
• Requires ODOT to contract with a neutral third party to conduct a study of their pavement selection process.
• Authorizes a TID to enter into an agreement with and RTA to finance a project.
• Requires ODOT to ensure that limited access exit and entrance ramps exist on interstate highways every 4.5 miles in adjacent municipal corps, if each has a population of 35,000, they are in different counties and one of the counties has a population exceeding 1 million.
• Provides that any loan to a municipal corporation eligible for ODOT’s small cities program, from the State Infrastructure Bank must be a zero-interest loan.

HB 33-Operating Budget Bill. Currently being heard in Ohio House Finance Subcommittees. Director Murnieks testimony

SB 23--Joint Purchasing Agreements. ACEC Ohio's language to preserve QBS is contained in as introduced version. Referred to Senate Government Oversight Committee, sponsor testimony this week.

SB 48- Reduce taxes on certain motor fuel.  Referred to Senate Transportation Committee.

ACEC Ohio Bill Monitoring 2.17.23