District of Columbia Emergency Highway Relief Act

Summary: District of Columbia Emergency Highway Relief Act - Requires the Federal share of the costs of certain highway projects within the District of Columbia during FY 1995 and 1996 to be up to 100 percent, as requested by the District.  Includes as eligible a project for a route proposed for inclusion in, or designated as part of, the National Highway System or of regional significance for which the United States is or, before September 30, 1996, becomes obligated to pay the Federal share and with respect to which the District of Columbia certifies that sufficient funds are not available to pay the full non-Federal share of costs. 
(Sec. 3) Requires the District, by December 31, 1995, to establish a dedicated highway fund (separate from its general fund) to pay the cost-sharing requirements under the Federal-aid highway program and to repay the increased Federal share of costs of eligible projects paid pursuant to this Act.  Provides that such fund shall be comprised of receipts from motor fuel taxes and, if necessary, motor vehicle taxes and fees collected by the District. Requires the District to make repayments, by the end of each of FY 1996 through 1998, of the increased Federal share paid for such project or the Secretary of Transportation shall not approve any federal-aid highway project in the District. 
Requires the Comptroller General to audit and report to the Congress each year on the financial condition and operations of the fund. 
(Sec. 4) Requires the District to:  (1) expeditiously process and execute contracts to implement the Federal-aid highway program in the District; (2) establish an independent revolving fund account for Federal-aid highway projects for the prompt payment of contractors completing Federal-aid highway projects in the District; and (3) ensure that necessary expertise and resources are available for planning, design, and construction of such projects. Authorizes the Secretary to require administrative and programmatic reforms by the District to ensure efficient management of the Federal-aid highway program in the District.  Requires the Comptroller General to review and report to the Congress on the implementation of the requirements of this section.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia Emergency 
Highway Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EMERGENCY HIGHWAY RELIEF.

    (a) Temporary Waiver of Non-Federal Share.--Notwithstanding any 
other law, during fiscal years 1995 and 1996, the Federal share of the 
costs of an eligible project shall be a percentage requested by the 
District of Columbia, but not to exceed 100 percent of the costs of the 
project.
    (b) Eligible Projects.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
project'' means a highway project in the District of Columbia--
        (1) for which the United States--
            (A) is obligated to pay the Federal share of the costs of 
        the project under title 23, United States Code, on the date of 
        enactment of this Act; or
            (B) becomes obligated to pay the Federal share of the costs 
        of the project under title 23, United States Code, during the 
        period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
        ending September 30, 1996;
        (2) which is--
            (A) for a route proposed for inclusion on or designated as 
        part of the National Highway System; or
            (B) of regional significance (as determined by the 
        Secretary of Transportation); and
        (3) with respect to which the District of Columbia certifies 
    that sufficient funds are not available to pay the non-Federal 
    share of the costs of the project.

SEC. 3. DEDICATED HIGHWAY FUND AND REPAYMENT OF TEMPORARY WAIVER 
              AMOUNTS.

    (a) Establishment of Fund.--Not later than December 31, 1995, the 
District of Columbia shall establish a dedicated highway fund to be 
comprised, at a minimum, of amounts equivalent to receipts from motor 
fuel taxes and, if necessary, motor vehicle taxes and fees collected by 
the District of Columbia to pay in accordance with this section the 
cost-sharing requirements established under title 23, United States 
Code, and to repay the United States for increased Federal shares of 
eligible projects paid pursuant to section 2(a). The fund shall be 
separate from the general fund of the District of Columbia.
    (b) Payment of Non-Federal Share.--For fiscal year 1997 and each 
fiscal year thereafter, amounts in the fund shall be sufficient to pay, 
at a minimum, the cost-sharing requirements established under title 23, 
United States Code, for such fiscal year.
    (c) Repayment Requirements.--
        (1) Fiscal year 1996.--By September 30, 1996, the District of 
    Columbia shall pay to the United States from amounts in the fund 
    established under subsection (a), with respect to each project for 
    which an increased Federal share is paid in fiscal year 1995 
    pursuant to section 2(a), an amount equal to 50 percent of the 
    difference between--
            (A) the amount of the costs of the project paid by the 
        United States in such fiscal year pursuant to section 2(a); and
            (B) the amount of the costs of the project that would have 
        been paid by the United States but for section 2(a).
        (2) Fiscal year 1997.--By September 30, 1997, the District of 
    Columbia shall pay to the United States from amounts in the fund 
    established under subsection (a), with respect to each project for 
    which an increased Federal share is paid in fiscal year 1995 
    pursuant to section 2(a) and with respect to each project for which 
    an increased Federal share is paid in fiscal year 1996 pursuant to 
    section 2(a), an amount equal to 50 percent of the difference 
    between--
            (A) the amount of the costs of the project paid in such 
        fiscal year by the United States pursuant to section 2(a); and
            (B) the amount of the costs of the project that would have 
        been paid by the United States but for section 2(a).
        (3) Fiscal year 1998.--By September 30, 1998, the District of 
    Columbia shall pay to the United States from amounts in the fund 
    established under subsection (a), with respect to each project for 
    which an increased Federal share is paid in fiscal year 1996 
    pursuant to section 2(a), an amount equal to 50 percent of the 
    difference between--
            (A) the amount of the costs of the project paid in such 
        fiscal year by the United States pursuant to section 2(a); and
            (B) the amount of the costs of the project that would have 
        been paid by the United States but for section 2(a).
        (4) Deposit of repaid funds.--Repayments made under paragraphs 
    (1), (2), and (3) with respect to a project shall be--
            (A) deposited in the Highway Trust Fund established by 
        section 9503 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
            (B) credited to the appropriate account of the District of 
        Columbia for the category of the project.
    (d) Enforcement.--If the District of Columbia does not meet any 
requirement established by subsection (a), (b), or (c) and applicable 
in a fiscal year, the Secretary of Transportation shall not approve any 
highway project in the District of Columbia under title 23, United 
States Code, until the requirement is met.
    (e) GAO Audit.--Not later than December 31, 1996, and each December 
31 thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall audit 
the financial condition and the operations of the fund established 
under this section and shall submit to Congress a report on the results 
of such audit and on the financial condition and the results of the 
operation of the fund during the preceding fiscal year and on the 
expected condition and operations of the fund during the next 5 fiscal 
years.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Expeditious Processing and Execution of Contracts.--The 
District of Columbia shall expeditiously process and execute contracts 
to implement the Federal-aid highway program in the District of 
Columbia.
    (b) Revolving Fund Account.--The District of Columbia shall 
establish an independent revolving fund account for Federal-aid highway 
projects. The account shall be separate from the capital account of the 
Department of Public Works of the District of Columbia and shall be 
reserved for the prompt payment of contractors completing highway 
projects in the District of Columbia under title 23, United States 
Code.
    (c) Highway Project Expertise and Resources.--The District of 
Columbia shall ensure that necessary expertise and resources are 
available for planning, design, and construction of Federal-aid highway 
projects in the District of Columbia.
    (d) Programmatic Reforms.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 
Management Assistance Authority, may require administrative and 
programmatic reforms by the District of Columbia to ensure efficient 
management of the Federal-aid highway program in the District of 
Columbia.
    (e) GAO Audit.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
review implementation of the requirements of this section (including 
requirements imposed under subsection (d)) and report to Congress on 
the results of such review not later than July 1, 1996.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.