SJR 15 Summary

• Urges the President and Congress to significantly increase federal funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund surplus for dredging and maintenance of federal navigation channels serving California ports, with expenditures equaling California's contributions to the fund.

• Calls on Congress to enact House Resolution 104 or Senate Resolution 412 to halt further accumulation of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund surplus and recognize California's ports as the largest contributors to Harbor Maintenance Tax revenues.

• Notes that California's ports generate over 30 percent of Harbor Maintenance Tax revenues but received only 4 percent of expenditures from the fund between federal fiscal years 2005-2008, despite a $5.6 billion surplus existing in the trust fund.

• Supports California's congressional delegation efforts to obtain an equitable share of federal port and goods movement infrastructure funding to secure and facilitate commercial activity at the state's ports.