Policies by Funding Mechanism

The Active Transportation Policy Hub includes state and local policies enacted through different means. Funding can come through state legislation, state ballot initiatives and executive or agency-issued actions. Funding can also be secured at the local level.

Following is a summary of the types of funding mechanisms you will find in the Policy Hub, with links to search results of sample legislation for each. 

A bill encompasses legislation that originates in the state legislature. Bills are generally denoted by a letter code (HB = House Bill, SB = Senate Bill, AB = Assembly Bill, SF = Senate File, etc.) followed by a number, though enacted bills may be listed by Act number. Bills are a common mechanism for securing active transportation funding.

A constitutional amendment is required to make a change to a state's constitution. Amendments are more common in some states than others and may require voter approval. One example of when a constitutional amendment may be necessary is with a gas tax. Since some states have constitutional restrictions on using transportation funding for non-highway purposes, using a gas tax for certain active transportation purposes would require a constitutional amendment in those places.

A ballot initiative references any state referendum or proposition, including voter-approved bond measures, constitutional amendments and local option policies.

An executive or agency-related action is a policy or funding that is originated by the governor’s office or agency policy. These actions could also include legislative bills that prescribe certain actions or policy changes by an agency, such as the state department of transportation.

Local policy refers to any policy introduced and implemented at the municipal, county or regional level. Local policies may include state policies directed at specific local areas, local option taxes, local ballot initiatives, locally issued bonds and city council policies.