BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  ACR 126|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  ACR 126
          Author:   Charles Calderon (D), et al.
          Amended:  5/21/12 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 6/26/12
          AYES:  DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Kehoe, Lowenthal, 
            Pavley, Rubio, Simitian, Wyland

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  73-0, 5/21/12 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Highway Signs

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This resolution requests that the Department of 
          Transportation (Caltrans) erect signs on State Highway 
          Route (SR) 210 in Los Angeles County directing motorists to 
          the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of 
          America.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law assigns Caltrans the 
          responsibility of operating and maintaining the state 
          highway system, including the installation and maintenance 
          of highway signs.  In administering its duties, Caltrans 
          has developed guidelines to use when considering whether to 
          erect non-required signage along the state's highways, or 
          what Caltrans refers to as "supplemental destination 
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          signage."  

          Supplemental destination signs give information to 
          motorists regarding the location of specific destinations, 
          such as historical sites, cultural centers, and tourist 
          attractions, which are accessible from an upcoming highway 
          exit.  Caltrans has established specific qualifying 
          criteria for certain destinations considered traffic 
          generators, for example:

           Post-secondary schools (public or private) with a minimum 
            enrollment of 1,000 students each week.

           Museums, zoos, stadiums, and sports arenas (publicly 
            owned and nonprofit) with a minimum of 1,000,000 in 
            annual attendance.

           Convention centers (publicly owned) with a minimum of 
            500,000 in annual attendance.

           Fairgrounds (publicly owned and operated) with a minimum 
            of 500,000 in annual attendance.

           Governmental centers with a 5,000 minimum number of 
            employees.

          The operative theory regarding these criteria is that only 
          those facilities that generate a substantial amount of 
          traffic should be provided highway signing.  For 
          destinations such as churches, for which attendance 
          criteria are not specifically identified in its manual, 
          Caltrans considers destination signs only when "unusual 
          operational or safety issues become apparent that would be 
          mitigated by signing."  

          This resolution requests that Caltrans erect two signs on 
          SR 210 in Los Angeles County directing motorists to the 
          Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of 
          America, consistent with the signing requirements of the 
          state highway system, upon receiving donations from 
          nonstate sources sufficient to cover the erection costs.

           Comments


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           According to the author's office, this resolution is 
          necessary to direct motorists to this important site 
          because of the significance of Armenian history and the 
          good work the Armenian Apostolic Church does today.  The 
          author's office states that Armenians officially accepted 
          Christianity in 301 AD, making Armenia the first nation to 
          formally adhere to that religion.  Since then, and 
          especially following the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the 
          Armenian Apostolic Church has had a permanent presence 
          throughout the Armenian Diaspora as a spiritual center for 
          its faithful believers.  From its headquarters, the Western 
          Prelacy oversees the day-to-day activities of the 13 
          churches and day schools in its jurisdiction.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Fiscal Com.:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/8/12)

          Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region

           OPPOSITION  :    (Verified  8/8/12)

          Turkish Peace and Justice Committee - California


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  73-0, 5/21/12
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, 
            Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, 
            Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, 
            Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, 
            Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth 
            Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, 
            Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Hueso, 
            Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lara, Logue, Ma, Mansoor, 
            Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, 
            Norby, Olsen, Pan, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino, Silva, 
            Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, 
            Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Fletcher, Gordon, Roger Hernández, 
            Knight, Bonnie Lowenthal, Monning, Perea


          JJA:d  8/8/12   Senate Floor Analyses 


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                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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