BILL ANALYSIS
SB 854
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 854 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee)
As Amended October 7, 2010
2/3 vote. Urgency
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
SUMMARY : Enacts various changes in statute necessary to
implement the 2010-11 State Budget for Transportation.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to
report to the Legislature semiannually on the expenditure of
Transportation Corridor Improvement Funds (TCIF) for railroad
projects. Additionally, requires the CTC to report and
provide a copy of any memorandum of understanding executed
between a railroad company and any state or local
transportation agency where TCIF funds are a funding source
for the project.
2)Provides cities and counties a one-year extension to expend
Proposition 1B Local Streets and Roads funds for any year in
which Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) funds for local
transportation projects are borrowed, deferred, or shifted.
3)Extends the expenditure period for recipients of Prop 1B bond
funds for regional public waterborne transit from three years
to four years. Proposition 1B provides $250 million to
Regional public waterborne transit agencies. The funds are
available to build ferry terminals, among other uses.
4)Directs about $112 million in savings from lower bond debt
service costs from transportation-related general obligation
bonds in 2010-11 to the General Fund (GF).
5)Extends the sunset from June 30, 2011, to June 30, 2014 for
cashflow borrowing among transportation special funds. The
transportation special funds that are eligible for cashflow
borrowing are the State Highway Account, the Public
Transportation Account, the Transportation Investment Fund,
the Transportation Deferred Investment Fund, and the Traffic
Congestion Relief Fund.
6)Authorizes the Governor to appoint six management level exempt
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positions to the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) upon the
recommendation of the executive director. Compensation for
these positions shall not exceed the highest comparable
compensation for a position of that type, as established
through a salary survey, and shall require approval of the
Department of Personnel Administration.
7)Requires the HSRA to report biannually to the Legislature,
beginning March 1, 2011, on the status of development and
implementation of intercity high-speed rail service.
8)Requires that the members of the High Speed Rail Independent
Peer Review Group be designated by November 1, 2010, and
requires that group to designate a chairperson. Additionally,
requires the HSRA to designate a liaison for the Independent
Peer Review Group. Lastly, authorizes the members of the peer
review group to collect a $100 per-day per diem that cannot
exceed $500 per month.
9)Requires the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to report annually to the Legislature with
supplemental information on the Capital Outlay Support budget
request, including anticipated and realized project costs and
schedules for the Capital Outlay Support Program.
10)Provides additional clarification that local governments are
not subject to the same maintenance-of-effort and other
requirements under Proposition 42 when they are apportioned
fuel excise tax revenues.
11)Places in statute the California Highway Patrol (CHP)
internal policy for retaining information gathered from
license plate reader (LPR) systems. Prohibits the retention
of data for more than 72 hours for all instances when the data
is not being used for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Additionally, prohibits the CHP from selling LPR data and
requires that CHP monitor its use internally.
12)Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to update
application forms to provide a space for an applicant to
indicate whether they served in the armed forces. Data
collected from willing veterans will be shared with the
Department of Veteran's affairs in order to identify if they
are eligible for federal benefits.
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13)Authorizes Caltrans to lease space for advertisements on
digital messaging signs on the state highway system that are
currently used for traveler information. These changes in
statute would require that Caltrans receive a federal waiver
before entering into any contract for advertisements on
digital messaging signs and would require that any such
contract be provided to the legislature for a 30-day review
prior to enactment.
14)Urgency Clause. Declares this bill take effect immediately
as an urgency statute.
Analysis Prepared by : Keali'i Bright / BUDGET / (916)
319-2099
FN: 0007189