BILL NUMBER: AB 427	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member John A. Pérez

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2011

   An act to amend Section 8879.59 of the Government Code, relating
to transportation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 427, as introduced, John A. Pérez. Transportation bond funds:
transit system safety.
   Existing law, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality,
and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, authorizes the issuance of
$19.925 billion of general obligation bonds for specified purposes.
Existing law requires the deposit of $1 billion of the bond proceeds
in the Transit System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account
to be used, upon appropriation, 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 impairing that movement. Existing law requires the
allocation of 25% of these funds for capital expenditures to regional
public waterborne transit agencies authorized to operate a regional
public water transit system, as specified, and requires the
California Emergency Management Agency to administer a grant
application and award program.
   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
   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 8879.59 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   8879.59.  (a) For funds appropriated from the Transit System
Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account for allocation to
transit agencies eligible to receive funds pursuant to subdivision
(b) of Section 8879.57, the California Emergency Management Agency
 (Cal EMA)  shall administer a grant application and
award program for those transit agencies.
   (b) Funds awarded to transit agencies pursuant to this section
shall be for eligible capital expenditures as described in
subdivision (b) of Section 8879.57.
   (c) Prior to allocating funds to projects pursuant to this
section,  Cal EMA   the agency  shall adopt
guidelines to establish the criteria and process for the
distribution of funds described in this section. Prior to adopting
the guidelines,  Cal EMA   the agency 
shall hold a public hearing on the proposed guidelines.
   (d) For each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated for the
purposes of this section,  Cal EMA   the agency
 shall issue a notice of funding availability no later than
October 1.
   (e) No later than December 1 of each fiscal year in which the
notice in subdivision (d) is issued, eligible transit agencies may
submit project nominations for funding to  Cal EMA 
 the agency  for its review and consideration. Project
nominations shall include all of the following:
   (1) A description of the project, which shall illustrate the
physical components of the project and the security or emergency
response benefit to be achieved by the completion of the project.
   (2) Identification of all nonbond sources of funding committed to
the project.
   (3) An estimate of the project's full cost and the proposed
schedule for the project's completion.
   (f) No later than February 1,  Cal EMA   the
agency  shall select eligible projects to receive grants under
this section and shall provide the Controller with a list of the
projects and the sponsoring agencies eligible to receive an
allocation from the account. Upon receipt of this information, the
Controller's office shall commence any necessary actions to allocate
funds to those agencies, including, but not limited to, seeking the
issuance of bonds for that purpose. Grants awarded to eligible
transit agencies pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8879.57 shall
be for eligible capital expenditures, as described in paragraph (2)
of subdivision (b) of that section.