H 3416

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4172  FILED ON: 1/17/2025
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3416
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _________________
  PRESENTED BY:
  Danillo A. Sena
  _________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
   Court assembled:
  The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
resolution:
    Resolutions urging Congress to pass legislation establishing a national infrastructure bank.
  _______________
  PETITION OF:
NAME:  DISTRICT/ADDRESS:  DATE ADDED:
Danillo A. Sena  37th Middlesex  1/17/2025
Marcus S. Vaughn  9th Norfolk  2/18/2025
James B. Eldridge  Middlesex and Worcester  2/27/2025
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  HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4172  FILED ON: 1/17/2025
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3416
By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by resolutions, House, No. 3416) of
Danillo A. Sena, Marcus S. Vaughn and James B. Eldridge for the adoption of resolutions urging
Congress to pass legislation establishing a national infrastructure bank. State Administration and
Regulatory Oversight.
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _______________
  In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
  (2025-2026)
  _______________
Resolutions urging Congress to pass legislation establishing a national infrastructure bank.
1WHEREAS, the development and maintenance of physical infrastructure including roads,
2 bridges, ports, transit, energy, housing, telecommunications, utilities, and broadband contribute
3 significantly to the economy of the United States since an efficient and reliable supply chain and
4 other economic activity are dependent upon that infrastructure; and
5WHEREAS, in addition to the overall positive impact on the nation’s economy and
6 America’s economic competitiveness and influence, infrastructure modernization also benefits
7 the national security of the United States, and Americans’ quality of life; and
8WHEREAS, The American Society of Civil Engineers issued a score of C- for the
9 current status of infrastructure in the United States in its 2021 Report Card for America’s
10 Infrastructure, and that more than $6 trillion is needed for infrastructure improvements and
11 development in order for the United States to meet its infrastructure needs; and
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12WHEREAS, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine assert that
13 a significant portion of American transportation infrastructure is at the end of its useful life and is
14 further strained by the increasing frequency of extreme weather events; and
15WHEREAS, Massachusetts has numerous infrastructure needs, including bridges that are
16 structurally deficient, miles of roads that are in poor or fair condition, trains and buses that are
17 past their useful life, a shortfall of affordable housing units, drinking water infrastructure and
18 wastewater systems requiring repair and replacement, and areas where there is no broadband
19 access; and
20WHEREAS, the National Infrastructure Bank legislation would create a bank to help
21 finance infrastructure requirements to bring our public infrastructure system to a state of good
22 repair and build new projects, while creating jobs and growing the economy; and
23WHEREAS, the National Infrastructure Bank legislation is modeled on previous banks
24 which helped build much of our country’s infrastructure at times of great need under Presidents
25 George Washington, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and with the
26 last such bank helping bring us out of the Great Depression and win World War II;
27WHEREAS, many organizations are in support of a National Infrastructure Bank,
28 including state legislatures and municipal governments, and national endorsements from the
29 National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators,
30 the National Asian-Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators, the Council of State
31 Governments-East, the National Association of Development Organizations, the US High Speed
32 Rail Association, the American Sustainable Business Council, the National Association of
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33 Minority Contractors, the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers, and the United Association of
34 Plumbers and Steamfitters International Union; and
35WHEREAS, the failure to establish a dedicated, regenerative, nonpartisan funding
36 mechanism for grand infrastructure endeavors would stifle economic growth, public safety, and
37 American quality of life and would limit the ability of Massachusetts and other states to move
38 forward on vital infrastructure projects and remain competitive in the global economy; and
39THEREFORE, be it resolved that the General Court of the Commonwealth of
40 Massachusetts urges the United States Congress to pass legislation establishing a national
41 infrastructure bank to facilitate the financing of urgently needed infrastructure projects in the
42 United States; and be it further
43RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be transmitted forthwith by the clerk of the
44 Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker and Minority Leader
45 of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United
46 States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from the Commonwealth in the Congress
47 of the United States, and to the Governor of the Commonwealth.
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