As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. R. No. 261

2025-2026

Senators Ingram, Blessing

Cosponsors: Senators Hicks-Hudson, Smith

A R E S O L U T I O N

To urge the United States Congress to create a National Infrastructure Bank to finance urgently needed infrastructure projects.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

WHEREAS, The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) stated in its 2021 report card that the United States received a grade of C- regarding the current state of infrastructure and that more than six trillion dollars would be needed to restore the nation's infrastructure to a state of good repair. Over two and a half trillion dollars is currently not funded, the remainder is inadequately funded, and all new, twenty-first century projects remain unfunded; and

WHEREAS, The ASCE 2021 report card also gave the state of Ohio a grade of C-. The state will need to invest at least twelve billion dollars to upgrade the drinking water systems and fourteen billion dollars to upgrade waste water systems. More than six per cent of the state's bridges are rated structurally deficient, driving on roads in poor repair costs each driver more than five hundred dollars per year, and traffic congestion costs Ohio motorists an estimated four and a half billion dollars each year in lost time and wasted fuel. Rail transportation requires new passenger lines and high speed rail service connecting a Great Lakes system; and

WHEREAS, A National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) would be modeled on previous banks that helped build much of our nation's infrastructure, including infrastructure in Ohio. Presidents George Washington, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and Abraham Lincoln created similar institutions during their administrations that helped finance the roads, dams, bridges, canals, power systems, and railroads that made our nation the envy of the world. The final such institution, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped bring us out of the Great Depression and win World War II; and

WHEREAS, Congress introduced H.R. 5356 in the 119th Congress to create a five trillion dollar National Infrastructure Bank; and

WHEREAS, A NIB would operate as its predecessors did and be capitalized by existing United States Treasury debt, requiring no new federal spending and no new federal taxes; and

WHEREAS, A NIB would create tens of millions of new jobs, pay prevailing wages, and mandate Buy America policies. A NIB would supercharge the United States economy, reopen American production, and grow industry in Ohio. It would ensure robust minority hiring, promote disadvantaged business enterprises, and spawn a resurgence of small business. It would lead to a total factor productivity increase of more than three per cent per year, and a gross domestic product increase of more than five per cent per year; and

WHEREAS, A bi-partisan resolution was introduced into the Ohio House of Representatives in the 135th General Assembly. Twenty-seven additional state legislatures have introduced resolutions to Congress, and eight have passed at least one house; and

WHEREAS, A NIB is widely supported across the state and the nation. Endorsements include Akron City Council, Toledo City Council, Cleveland City Council, Lucas County Board of Commissioners, Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, IBEW Local 245, UA Local 50 Plumbers and Steamfitters, Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades, Bricklayers Local 7, All Aboard Ohio, among others. National endorsements include National Black Caucus of State Legislators, National Asian-Pacific Caucus of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments-East, National Association of Counties, National Association of Development Organizers, National Association of Minority Contractors, National Latino Farmers and Ranchers, and many more; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the Senate of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, call upon the United States Congress to pass a bill similar to H.R. 5356 of the 119th Congress to create a National Infrastructure Bank; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to each member of the Ohio congressional delegation, the governor of Ohio, the president of the United States, and the news media of Ohio.