28-6993. State highway fund; authorized uses

A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section and section 28-6538, the state highway fund shall be used for any of the following purposes in strict conformity with and subject to the budget as provided by this section and by sections 28-6997 through 28-7003:

1. To pay salaries, wages, necessary travel expenses and other expenses of officers and employees of the department and the incidental office expenses, including telegraph, telephone, postal and express charges and printing, stationery and advertising expenses.

2. To pay for both:

(a) Equipment, supplies, machines, tools, department offices and laboratories established by the department.

(b) The construction and repair of buildings or yards of the department.

3. To pay the cost of both:

(a) Engineering, construction, improvement and maintenance of state highways and parts of highways forming state routes.

(b) Highways under cooperative agreements with the United States that are entered into pursuant to this chapter and an act of Congress providing for the construction of rural post roads.

4. To pay land damages incurred by reason of establishing, opening, altering, relocating, widening or abandoning portions of a state route or state highway.

5. To reimburse the department revolving account.

6. To pay premiums on authorized indemnity bonds and on compensation insurance under the workers' compensation act.

7. To defray lawful expenses and costs required to administer and carry out the intent, purposes and provisions of this title, including repayment of obligations entered into pursuant to this title, payment of interest on obligations entered into pursuant to this title, repayment of loans and other financial assistance, including repayment of advances and interest on advances made to the department pursuant to section 28-7677, and payment of all other obligations and expenses of the board and department pursuant to chapter 21 of this title.

8. To pay lawful bills and charges incurred by the state engineer.

9. To acquire, construct or improve entry roads to state parks or roads within state parks.

10. To acquire, construct or improve entry roads to state prisons.

11. To pay the cost of relocating a utility facility pursuant to section 28-7156.

12. For the purposes provided in subsections C, D and E of this section and sections 28-1143, 28-2353 and 28-3003.

13. To pay the cost of issuing an Arizona centennial special plate pursuant to section 28-2448.

B. For each fiscal year, the department of transportation shall allocate and transfer monies in the state highway fund to the department of public safety for funding a portion of highway patrol costs in eight installments in each of the first eight months of a fiscal year that do not exceed $10, 000, 000.

C. Subject to legislative appropriation, the department may use the monies in the state highway fund as prescribed in section 28-6991, paragraph 12 to carry out the duties imposed by this title for registration or titling of vehicles, to operate joint title, registration and driver licensing offices, to cover the administrative costs of issuing the air quality compliance sticker, modifying the year validating tab and issuing the windshield sticker and to cover expenses and costs in issuing special plates pursuant to sections 28-2404, 28-2407, 28-2412 through 28-2468 and 28-2514.

D. The department shall use monies deposited in the state highway fund pursuant to chapter 5, article 5 of this title only as prescribed by that article.

E. Monies deposited in the state highway fund pursuant to section 28-2269 shall be used only as prescribed by that section.

F. Monies deposited in the state highway fund pursuant to section 28-710, subsection D, paragraph 2 shall only be used for state highway work zone traffic control devices.

G. The department may exchange monies distributed to the state highway fund pursuant to section 28-6538, subsection A, paragraph 1 for local government surface transportation program federal monies suballocated to councils of government and metropolitan planning organizations if the local government scheduled to receive the federal monies concurs. An exchange of state highway fund monies pursuant to this subsection shall be in an amount that is at least equal to ninety percent of the federal obligation authority that exists in the project for which the exchange is proposed.

H. The department shall use monies deposited in the state highway fund pursuant to section 28-1105, subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (a) only for a transportation facility that is located within twenty drivable miles of the international port of entry and shall spend the monies proportionally based on the amount of total monies collected pursuant to section 28-1105, subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (a). For the purposes of this subsection, " transportation facility" means a highway or a state route or a county, city or town road that is used by a commercial vehicle or a commercial vehicle combination for which an axle fee is paid pursuant to section 28-5474.