BILL NUMBER: AB 881	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Huffman
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Wiggins)
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Evans)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to amend Section 180001 of, and to add Section 180155 to,
the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 881, as introduced, Huffman. Local transportation authorities:
greenhouse gas emissions.
   The Local Transportation Authority and Improvement Act authorizes
any county board of supervisors to create or designate a local
transportation authority in the county for the purposes of imposing a
retail transactions and use tax of up to 1%, by a 2/3 vote thereof,
subject to voter approval, with revenues to be used for
transportation improvements.
   The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the
State Air Resources Board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas
emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions
levels in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, as specified.
   This bill would authorize a local transportation authority to
implement programs and projects to comply with statewide or federal
greenhouse gas emission standards. The bill would make legislative
findings and a statement of legislative intent with respect to the
exercise of that authority by the Sonoma County Transportation
Authority in that regard.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 180001 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:
   180001.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Local highway and transportation improvements and services are
an immediate high priority needed to resolve local and regional
transportation problems that threaten the economic viability and
development potential of counties and cities and adversely impact the
quality of life therein. Furthermore, regional transportation is a
matter of statewide concern.
   (b) Comprehensive studies and reports have been completed by the
Department of Transportation, the Assembly Office of Research, the
Governor's Task Force on Infrastructure, and the California Business
Roundtable which conclude that there exists a local city street and
county road maintenance backlog and shortfall of between five hundred
million dollars ($500,000,000) and eight hundred forty million
dollars ($840,000,000) annually. 
   (c) In 2006, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed
Assembly Bill 32 (Chapter 488 of the Statutes of 2006) which requires
the State of California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to
1990 levels no later than 2020. Reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions from the transportation sector will significantly
contribute to the state's climate change policy objectives. Programs
and projects to comply with Chapter 488 of the Statutes of 2006, and
other federal or state mandates and programs designed to respond to
climate change, should be included among the powers and duties of
authorities created under this division.  
   (c) 
    (d)    In order to deal in an expeditious
manner with current and future local transportation maintenance and
improvement needs, local agencies need to develop and implement local
funding programs that go significantly beyond current federal and
state funding which is inadequate to resolve these problems. 

   (d) 
    (e)  It is in the public interest to allow the voters of
each county to establish local transportation authorities and raise
additional local revenues to provide highway capital improvements and
maintenance and to meet local transportation needs in a timely
manner. 
   (e) 
    (f)  It is the intent of the Legislature that funds
generated pursuant to this division be used to supplement and not
replace existing local revenues used for transportation purposes.
  SEC. 2.  Section 180155 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   180155.  Programs and projects to comply with Chapter 488 of the
Statutes of 2006 and other federal or state mandates and programs
designed to respond to climate change may be implemented as part of
the powers and duties of an authority.
  SEC. 3.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the authorization
granted in Section 180155 of the Public Utilities Code with respect
to the Sonoma County Transportation Authority should be used to
perform coordination and implementation activities with other local
and community agencies in Sonoma County to assist those agencies in
meeting their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as set forth in
local resolutions and adopted plans. It is further the intent of the
Legislature, to the extent another agency, entity, or organization
in Sonoma County is authorized to perform those functions, or a new
entity is created in that regard, that the responsibility for those
functions should be transferred to that agency, entity, or
organization.