PRINTER'S NO. 563

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

506

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY GABLER, EMRICK, EVERETT, HEFFLEY, KNOWLES,

LONGIETTI, McGINNIS, METCALFE, MILLARD, MULLERY AND

OBERLANDER, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 8116(a) introductory paragraph of Title

74 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 8116. Collection and disposition of tolls and other revenue.

(a) Establishment and changes in toll amounts.--Subject to

the terms of any trust indenture entered into by the commission

or any resolution authorizing the issuance of any bonds, notes

or other obligations of the commission, the commission is

authorized to fix and to revise tolls for the use of the

Pennsylvania Turnpike System and the different parts or sections

placing thereon telephone, telegraph, electric light or power

lines, gas stations, garages, stores, hotels, restaurants and

advertising signs or for any other purpose, except [for service

plazas in the right-of-way along Interstate 80 and] for tracks

for railroad or railway use; and to fix the terms, conditions,

rents and rates of charges for use. Tolls shall be fixed and

adjusted as to provide funds at least sufficient with other

revenues of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, if any, to pay all

of the following:

turnpike extensions and improvements authorized in section 8911

(relating to improvement and extension authorizations), and

subject to [prior legislative] State legislation enacted after

April 30, 2015, and approval by [the General Assembly and] the

United States Congress, the commission is hereby authorized and

empowered to convert to toll roads such portions of

Pennsylvania's interstate highway system as may facilitate the

completion of the turnpike extensions and improvements

authorized in sections 8912 (relating to subsequent extension

authorizations), 8913 (relating to additional subsequent

Assembly of this Commonwealth of legislation expressly

permitting the conversion of such interstates to toll roads.

Such conversions shall take place at a time and manner set forth

in the plan for the conversion prepared by the commission with

the cooperation of the department. The provisions authorizing

the commission to construct, operate and maintain the turnpike

routes in sections 8911, 8912 and 8913 shall be subject to:

[§ 8915.1. Conversion of Interstate 80.

In order to facilitate vehicular traffic across this

the Ohio border to a point at or near the New Jersey border,

together with connecting roads, interchanges, slip ramps,

tunnels and bridges.

obligations, payable solely from revenues of the commission,

including tolls, or from funds as may be available to the

commission for that purpose, to pay the cost of constructing,

reconstructing, widening, expanding or extending Interstate

80 or any other costs of Interstate 80 and the Pennsylvania

Turnpike.

the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation

Committee of the House of Representatives. These reports

shall include, at a minimum, the status of outstanding

discussions with the United States Department of

Transportation regarding Interstate 80, the location and

construction of tolling-related equipment for Interstate 80,

planned capital improvements for Interstate 80 and other

information important to implementation of this section.

§ 8915.2. Application to United States Department of

as practicable after the effective date of this section.

(b) Open system.--A toll system shall consist of what is

commonly referred to as an open system with no more than ten

toll collection points.

(c) Other agreements.--The commission and the department may

enter into any other agreements as may be necessary to

effectuate the execution of the application filed under this

section.

§ 8915.3. Lease of Interstate 80; related agreements.

The department and the commission shall enter into a lease

minimum, shall include the following:

shall be 50 years, unless extended upon mutual agreement of

the parties to the lease agreement and upon approval of the

General Assembly.

authorizing extension of the conversion period at the sole

option of the commission for three one-year extension periods

after consultation with the secretary. The commission shall

notify the secretary of its intent to extend the conversion

department's 12-year plan at the time of the execution of the

lease, with modifications as are approved in writing by the

chairman of the commission.

its option to convert Interstate 80 to a toll road prior to

the expiration of the conversion period by providing the

conversion notice to the secretary. Beginning on the

conversion date, all legal, financial and operational

responsibility for Interstate 80, as well as all toll

revenues subsequently collected with respect to its use,

the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Any revenues collected prior to

the conversion date shall be retained by the department. The

commission may contract with the department for any portion

of the maintenance of Interstate 80 at cost levels agreed to

by the department and the commission.

base payments to the department during the term of the lease

agreement.

additional payments to the department. The annual additional

payments shall be payable by the commission within 30 days of

receipt by the commission of the Auditor General's

certificate.

commission to pay the annual base payments, the annual

additional payments and annual surplus payments shall be a

subordinate obligation of the commission payable from amounts

in the general reserve fund of the commission only as

permitted by any financing documents, financial covenants,

liquidity policies or agreements in effect at the

chapter, the commission is hereby authorized and empowered to:

2015, at its own expense and in consultation with the

department [and with approval of the General Assembly],

prepare and submit an application to the United States

Department of Transportation for the conversion of any

interstate or interstate segment determined to be eligible

for conversion to a toll road under any applicable Federal

program.

traffic from Interstate 80 to other roadways as a result of the

conversion. This section shall not require duplication of

traffic studies undertaken by the commission as a part of the

conversion process or undertaken by the department as a normal

course of the department's operations.]