BILL ANALYSIS Ó ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 845| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: AB 845 Author: Ma (D) Amended: 5/10/11 in Assembly Vote: 21 SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 5-3, 7/5/11 AYES: DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Pavley, Rubio, Simitian NOES: Gaines, Harman, Huff NO VOTE RECORDED: Lowenthal SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 6/2/11 - See last page for vote SUBJECT : High speed rail bond funds SOURCE : San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District DIGEST : This bill codifies guidelines adopted by the California Transportation Commission for the expenditure of bond funds for conventional rail services connecting to high-speed rail trains. ANALYSIS : In November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century of 2008 (Proposition 1A). The $9.95 billion bond measure provides $9 billion for high-speed rail development and $950 million for improving the safety or capacity of conventional rail services connecting to the high-speed rail line. Included CONTINUED AB 845 Page 2 in the connectivity funds is $190 million for the intercity rail program managed by the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and $760 million for commuter rail operators and public mass transit agencies. Proposition 1A requires a dollar-for-dollar match from non-state funds. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopted guidelines for allocating the conventional rail funds in 2010. The 2010-2011 state budget appropriated $101 million from Proposition 1A conventional rail funds for the installation of positive train control systems, a modern rail safety technology. In addition, the 2011-2012 budget appropriates $154.3 million for local and commuter transit operators and $108.1 million to Caltrans for the intercity rail program. This bill: 1. Requires the distribution of the Proposition 1A conventional rail funds to be based on data in the National Transit Database of the Federal Transit Administration. 2. Directs the CTC to accept from each eligible bond fund recipient a priority list of projects that meet the criteria for receiving funds, including projects that create capacity for conventional intercity rail, commuter rail, or rail mass transit services that connect to high-speed rail service or funds a safety improvement. 3. Directs the CTC to require that matching funds are to be provided from non-state funds. 4. Provides that the required match for commuter and urban rail projects may begin with expenditures a bond fund recipient makes on a project after the CTC adopts the program through which the project is funded. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 8/17/11) San Bay Area Rapid Transit District (source) AB 845 Page 3 California Transit Association Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Southern California Regional Rail Authority ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office, this bill "confirms" the guidelines upon which the CTC allocation was made for the conventional rail fund, and ensures that the CTC implements the vision of the voters in Proposition 1A. ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 6/2/11 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, Fletcher, Fong, Furutani, Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuentes, Garrick, Gorell, Halderman, Hall JJA:kc 8/17/11 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****