BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 845|
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                                 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 
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          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)







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          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

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