West Central Reporter

State Representative Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) saw her legislation aimed at aiding local road districts with funding challenges unanimously approved by the Illinois House on Wednesday. The bill, known as House Bill 5190, focuses on addressing the financial difficulties faced by local road districts in maintaining their infrastructure.

"My legislation addresses the funding challenges that local road districts have had concerning maintaining roads and bridges by updating the current funding formula for local road districts," stated Rep. Norine Hammond, the sponsor of the bill. She expressed gratitude towards the Illinois Association of County Engineers for their collaboration and also thanked her House colleagues for their unanimous support.

The legislation outlines provisions that ensure the proper allocation of funds to road districts, particularly emphasizing the utilization of lapsed funds to provide additional financial assistance to townships and road districts struggling with insufficient funding for bridge construction projects exceeding 20 feet in length.

House Bill 5190, which received a resounding vote of 114-0-0 in the Illinois House, is now set to advance to the Illinois Senate for further review and deliberation. The initiative, supported by the Illinois Association of County Engineers, aims to streamline the funding process for local road districts, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of transportation infrastructure across the state.