BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 324
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          Date of Hearing:   April 6, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   AB 324 (Buchanan) - As Amended:  March 15, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              Business and 
          Professions  Vote:                            7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Department of General Services (DGS), 
          when selecting locations for state-owned or -leased buildings 
          exceeding 10,000 square feet, to consider all of the following:

          1)The location of the community or population served.

          2)The residential location of the state workforce to be housed.  
            Priority may be given to areas demonstrating the highest 
            reduction of miles traveled by the workforce.

          3)The availability and proximity of transit service.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          DGS indicates that, on behalf of state departments, it enters 
          into about 100 leases for new space each year, and that most of 
          these leases are for less than 10,000 square feet.  If 
          one-fourth of this activity involved leases exceeding 10,000 
          square feet, and assuming the additional analyses regarding the 
          workforce to be housed at prospective state offices cost an 
          average of $2,000 (40 hours of staff time at $50 per hour), the 
          annual costs would average about $50,000 from the Service 
          Revolving Fund (ultimately funded by the General Fund and 
          numerous special funds depending on the particular state 
          departments involved).

           COMMENTS  


           1)Purpose  .  According to the sponsor, the City of Elk Grove, 








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            "The single largest source of greenhouse gases in California 
            is emissions from passenger vehicles, and in order to reduce 
            those emissions, we must work to reduce Californians' 
            vehicle-miles traveled?AB 324 will empower the State of 
            California to lead by example by locating State office 
            buildings close to where the State workforce lives."  


            The sponsor indicates that 12,625 Elk Grove residents (almost 
            1 in 10) are state government workers, and that almost 80% 
            (about 10,000) drive to work alone.


           2)Current Location Criteria  .  DGS currently has numerous 
            requirements with which to comply when locating state 
            operations.  For example, Government Code Section 15808.1 in 
            general requires DGS to consider locating state buildings in 
            public transit corridors.  Executive Order D-46-01 requires 
            numerous location considerations, including:

             a)   Preferred siting or leasing in a central city or area of 
               similar character immediately adjacent thereto.

             b)   Proximity to public transit and other needed 
               infrastructure.

             c)   Proximity to affordable and available housing.

             d)   Pedestrian access to retail and commercial facilities, 
               and exploiting opportunities for mixed use; 

             e)   Indications of the need for neighborhood economic 
               revitalization.

             f)   Opportunities to utilize structures of historic, 
               cultural or architectural significance.

             g)   Advice and recommendations of local elected officials 
               and their staff with consideration to any incentives 
               offered by local government.
                
            1)Prior Legislation  . This bill is almost identical to AB 1006 
            (Buchanan) of 2009, which was vetoed by Governor 
            Schwarzenegger, who argued that the bill was unnecessary in 
            light of all the factors DGS current considers in locating 








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            state offices.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081