BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 957
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 957 (Transportation Committee)
As Amended August 31, 2011
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |70-0 |(May 12, 2011) |SENATE: |38-0 |(September 7, |
| | | | | |2011) |
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Original Committee Reference: TRANS.
SUMMARY : Makes various non-controversial changes to the Public
Utilities Code, Vehicle Code and Streets and Highways Code,
related to transportation.
The Senate amendments :
1)Delete provisions authorizing the Sacramento Regional Transit
District (District) to increase the maximum interest rate on
District-issued bonds from seven percent to eight percent.
2)Delete provision clarifying that the act of activating or
deactivating a voice operated hands-free communication device
would be exempt from provisions prohibiting writing, sending,
or reading a text-based communication while driving.
3)Authorize the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to relinquish sections of State Route 225 to the
City of Santa Barbara, after California Transportation
Commission (CTC) approval.
4)Authorize the Caltrans to relinquish sections of State Route
39 (Beach Boulevard) within the city limits of Buena Park to
the City of Buena Park, after California Transportation
Commission (CTC) approval.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Describes the composition of the District to include the
Cities of Davis, Folsom, Roseville, Sacramento, and Woodland.
2)Contains provisions relating to the transition from the former
Authority to the District and requirements for establishing
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the District's first board.
3)Describes Sacramento Regional Transit District Act.
4)Prohibits the District from imposing or collecting any
property tax, within any city or unincorporated area of a
county, unless it is approved by a majority vote of the
electorate.
5)Prohibits bonds issued by the District from carrying interest
rates above 7%.
6)Authorizes the District to provide a retirement system, under
specified conditions.
7)Requires Caltrans to provide quarterly seismic reports to the
transportation committees of both houses of the Legislature
until completion of the seismic retrofit of specified
state-owned toll bridges.
8)Requires Caltrans to provide quarterly seismic reports to the
CTC for other seismic retrofit programs.
9)Specifies that a vehicle being operated as a taxicab or other
passenger vehicle for hire that is in violation of the
licensing requirements adopted by a local authority may be
impounded for a period not to exceed 30 days, as specified,
and sets requirements for the release of the impounded
vehicles.
10)Prohibits a person from driving a vehicle while using an
electronic wireless device to write, send, or read a
text-based communication, unless the person is using a
voice-operated, hands-free device.
11)Statutorily identifies state highway system routes; defines
"state highway" as any roadway that is acquired, laid out,
constructed, improved, or maintained as a state highway
pursuant to constitutional or legislative authorization.
12)Specifies that it is the intent of the Legislature that the
prescribed routes of the state highway system connect the
communities and regions of the state and that they serve the
state's economy by connecting centers of commerce, industry,
agriculture, mineral wealth, and recreation.
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13)Provides for the expansion or deletion of the state highway
system through a process whereby CTC makes a finding that it
is in the best interest of the state to include or delete a
specified portion of roadway to the system.
14)Provides for the relinquishment of a portion of state highway
to a city or county under an agreement between the local
jurisdiction and the Caltrans when an act of the Legislature
has deleted the portion of highway from the state highway
system.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, the SR 225 relinquishment would likely result in
unknown one-time costs and long-term savings.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill:
1)Expanded the composition of the District to include the cities
of Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, and West
Sacramento.
2)Deleted obsolete provisions relating to the transition from
the Sacramento Transit Authority (Authority) to the District
and establishment of the District's first board.
3)Conformed the Sacramento Regional Transit District Act with
the State Constitution by prohibiting the district from
imposing or collecting any property tax, within any city or
unincorporated area of a county, unless it is approved by a
2D3 vote of the electorate.
4)Prohibited bonds issued by the District from carrying interest
rates above 8%.
5)Authorized the District to establish trust accounts for its
retirement system.
6)Deleted the requirement that the Caltrans provide quarterly
seismic reports to the transportation committees of both
houses of the Legislature until completion of the seismic
retrofit of specified state-owned toll bridges.
7)Deleted the requirement that the Caltrans provide quarterly
seismic reports to the CTC for other seismic retrofit
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Programs.
8)Required the release of a vehicle that is impounded from
operating as a taxicab or other passenger vehicle for hire in
violation of the licensing requirements adopted by a local
authority, if the vehicle is a rental car.
9)Exempted a person while driving a vehicle, when using a
voice-operated, hands-free device from being charged with an
infraction punishable by a base fine of $20 for a first
offense and $50 for each subsequent offense, when that person
is activating or deactivating a feature or function on an
electronic wireless communications device.
COMMENTS : The Transportation Committee (Committee)
traditionally authors an annual omnibus bill, combining various
statutory modifications that are technical in nature, not
controversial, and have no opposition. This year's omnibus bill
contains measures suggested by the District (Sections 1-10), the
Committee (Section 11), the City of Buena Park (Section 12),
Assembly Member Williams on behalf of the City of Santa Barbara
(Section 13), and Enterprise Rental Car (Section 14).
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093
FN: 0002546