[Senate Report 107-165]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 424
107th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     107-165

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 PORTS-TO-PLAINS CORRIDOR IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, COLORADO, AND NEW MEXICO

                                _______
                                

                 June 19, 2002.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Jeffords, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [to accompany S. 1646]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 1646), to identify certain routes in the 
States of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico as part of 
the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, a high priority corridor on the 
National Highway System, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon without amendment, and recommends that the 
bill do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    In the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 
105-178), Congress designated the Ports-to-Plains High Priority 
Corridor ``from the Mexican Border via I-27 to Denver, 
Colorado'' (112 Stat. 191). In 2000, Congress designated the 
southern portion of the route from Laredo to Dumas, Texas, in 
the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Act for FY2001 (H. Rep. 106-1033, P.L. 106-554, 
114 Stat. 2763A-201). However, Congress left unspecified the 
route north of Dumas, TX. The accompanying report language 
directed the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to submit to 
Congress a route designation if Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and 
New Mexico did not reach a ``unified consensus'' by September 
30, 2001. In July of 2001, the four States agreed to support 
designating the northern segment of the Ports-to-Plains 
corridor from Dumas, TX, along U.S. Highway 287 through Boise 
City, OK, to Limon, CO, and then along Interstate 70 to Denver, 
CO. The representatives also agreed to include in Ports-to-
Plains the route from Dumas, TX, along U.S. Highway 87 through 
Clayton, NM, to Raton. This bill affirms and codifies the route 
that the four States recommended by consensus.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    This bill seeks to complete the designation of the northern 
segment of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as directed by the 
report language of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001.

                      Section-By-Section Analysis

Section 1. Identification of Ports-to-Plains High Priority Corridor 
        Routes
    This section identifies the Ports-to-Plains high priority 
corridor routes as follows: The four States agreed to support 
designating the northern segment of the Ports-to-Plains 
corridor from Dumas, Texas, along U.S. Highway 287 through 
Boise City, OK, to Limon, CO, and then along Interstate 70 to 
Denver. The representatives also agreed to include in Ports-to-
Plains the route from Dumas, TX, along U.S. Highway 87 through 
Clayton, NM, to Raton.

                          Legislative History

    In the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-
21), Congress designated the Ports-to-Plains High Priority 
Corridor ``from the Mexican Border via I-27 to Denver, 
Colorado'' (112 Stat.. 191). In 2000, Congress designated the 
southern portion of the route from Laredo to Dumas, TX, in the 
Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (H. Rep. 106-1033, P.L. 106-554, 114 
Stat.. 2763A-201). Senators Bingaman and Domenici introduced S. 
1646 on November 7, 2001. The Senate Committee on Environment 
and Public Works reported the bill favorably without amendment 
by voice vote on April 25, 2002.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee makes evaluation of 
the regulatory impact of the reported bill.
    The bill does not create any additional regulatory burdens, 
nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 1646 would 
impose no unfunded mandates on State, local, or tribal 
governments.
    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 14, 2002.

Hon. James M. Jeffords, Chairman,
Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1646, a bill to 
identify certain routes in the States of Texas, Oklahoma, 
Colorado, and New Mexico as part of the Ports-to-Plains 
Corridor, a high priority corridor on the National Highway 
System.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Rachel 
Milberg, who can be reached at 226-2860
            Sincerely,
                                            Dan L. Crippen.
                              ----------                              


               congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

S. 1646, A bill to identify certain routes in the States of Texas, 
        Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico as part of the Ports-to-
        Plains Corridor, a high-priority corridor on the National 
        Highway System, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on 
        Environment and Public Works on April 25, 2002
    Current law identifies certain roadways as high-priority 
corridors, and States are authorized to spend a portion of 
their grants from the Federal-Aid Highway program on the 
construction of those corridors. S. 1646 would clarify the 
description of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, a group of roadway 
identified as a high-priority corridor under current law.
    S. 1646 would not authorize additional spending on the 
Ports-to-Plains corridor, and CBO estimates that implementing 
the bill would not have a significant impact on the Federal 
budget. The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    S. 1646 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Rachel Milberg, 
who can be reached at 226-2860. This estimate was approved by 
Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget 
Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:
                              ----------                              


        INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT OF 1991

                [Public Law 102-240; December 18, 1991]

         [As Amended Through Public Law 107-136, Jan. 24, 2002]

AN ACT To develop a national intermodal surface transportation system, 
  to authorize funds for construction of highways, for highway safety 
programs, and for mass transit programs, and for other purposes.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Intermodal Surface 
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991''.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 1105. HIGH PRIORITY CORRIDORS ON NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (c) Identification of High Priority Corridors on National 
Highway System.--The following are high priority corridors on 
the National Highway System:
            (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

            [(38) The] (38)(A) The Ports-to-Plains Corridor 
        from Laredo, Texas, via I-27 to Denver, Colorado, shall 
        include:
                    [(A)] (i) In the State of Texas the Ports-
                to-Plains Corridor shall generally follow--
                            [(i)] (I) I-35 from Laredo to 
                        United States Route 83 at Exit 18;
                            [(ii)] (II) United States Route 83 
                        from Exit 18 to Carrizo Springs;
                            [(iii)] (III) United States Route 
                        277 from Carrizo Springs to San Angelo;
                            [(iv)] (IV) United States Route 87 
                        from San Angelo to Sterling City;
                            [(v)] (V) From Sterling City to 
                        Lamesa, the Corridor shall follow 
                        United States Route 87 and, the 
                        Corridor shall also follow Texas Route 
                        158 from Sterling City to I-20, then 
                        via I-20 West to Texas Route 349 and, 
                        Texas Route 349 from Midland to Lamesa;
                            [(vi)] (VI) United States Route 87 
                        from Lamesa to Lubbock;
                            [(vii)] (VII) I-27 from Lubbock to 
                        Amarillo; [and]
                            [(viii)] (VIII) United States Route 
                        287 from Amarillo to Dumas[.] and
                            (IX) United States Route 287 from 
                        Dumas to the border between the States 
                        of Texas and Oklahoma, and also United 
                        States Route 87 from Dumas to the 
                        border between the States of Texas and 
                        New Mexico.
                    [(B) The corridor designation contained in 
                paragraph (A)]
            (B) The corridor designation contained in 
        subclauses (I) through (VIII) of subparagraph (A)(i) 
        shall take effect only if the Texas Transportation 
        Commission has not designated the Ports-to-Plains 
        Corridor in Texas by June 30, 2001.
                    (ii) In the State of Oklahoma, the Ports-
                to-Plains Corridor shall generally follow 
                United States Route 287 from the border between 
                the States of Texas and Oklahoma to the border 
                between the States of Oklahoma and Colorado.
                    (iii) In the State of Colorado, the Ports-
                to-Plains Corridor shall generally follow--
                            (I) United States Route 287 from 
                        the border between the States of 
                        Oklahoma and Colorado to Limon; and
                            (II) Interstate Route 70 from Limon 
                        to Denver.
                    (iv) In the State of New Mexico, the Ports-
                to-Plains Corridor shall generally follow 
                United States Route 87 from the border between 
                the States of Texas and New Mexico to Raton.''; 
                and

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                                  
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