BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 1203
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: ma
VERSION: 2/27/09
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: July 7, 2009
SUBJECT:
Transit system safety
DESCRIPTION:
This bill requires the California Emergency Management Agency
(Cal EMA), by February 1 of each fiscal year, to select eligible
applicants for transit system safety projects from the Transit
System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account
established by the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air
Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, Proposition 1B, and
provide the Controller with a list of the projects and
sponsoring agencies eligible to receive an allocation.
ANALYSIS:
Proposition 1B authorized $19.925 billion in bonds for various
transportation programs, including $1 billion for the Transit
System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account for
capital projects that provide increased protection against a
security and safety threat and for capital expenditures to
increase the capacity of transit operators to develop disaster
response transportation systems that can move people, goods, and
emergency personnel and equipment in the aftermath of a
disaster.
Existing law:
Requires the allocation of 25 percent of the funds in
the account for capital expenditures to regional public
waterborne transit agencies authorized to operate a
regional public water transit system.
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Requires the Cal EMA to administer a grant application
and award program for transit agencies eligible to receive
the funds.
Existing law authorizes the Controller to make payments
of funds from the account to a regional public waterborne
transit agency on a reimbursable basis only.
Authorizes Cal EMA to select eligible projects to
receive those grants by February 1 of each fiscal year in
which funds are appropriated for that purpose.
This bill requires the Controller, upon receiving a list of
eligible projects from Cal EMA, to allocate funds to the
regional water borne public transit agency directly and not on a
reimbursement basis.
COMMENTS:
Purpose . Typically, the state makes bond funds made available to
recipient agencies on a reimbursable basis. The San Francisco
Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WETA), the bill's sponsor, is
a new agency without a sufficient cashflow to "front end" the
cost of projects and then wait for reimbursement from
Proposition 1B funds. The bill provides clarifying language that
allows WETA to proceed with its bond funded projects and receive
funding directly, rather than on a reimbursement basis.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 80-0
Appr: 16-0
G.O.: 16-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
July 1, 2009)
SUPPORT: San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority
(sponsor)
California Conference Board of the Amalgamated
Transit Union
California Conference of Machinists
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
California Labor Federation
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
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San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
San Mateo County Transportation Authority
OPPOSED: None received.