HF 4988 Summary

• Requires assessment of trunk highway capacity expansion projects for conformance with greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and vehicle miles traveled reduction targets before inclusion in state transportation improvement programs, effective February 1, 2025.

• Allows projects that fail to meet targets to proceed through scope/design alterations, interlinking sufficient impact mitigation offset actions, or project halting as determined by applicable entities.

• Establishes a technical advisory committee to review and validate assessment processes, methodologies, and recommend clarifications to authorized offset actions including transit expansion, active transportation, land use changes, and natural systems improvements.

• Requires impact mitigation offset actions to prioritize localization within affected communities, then areas of persistent poverty, then regional or statewide basis, with documented feasibility explanations.

• Appropriates $10,000,000 from trunk highway fund for mitigation in fiscal 2025 (with $5,000,000 base for 2026-2027), plus $4,000,000 from general fund for grants to metropolitan planning organizations and local governments.