BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 99
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 99 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee)
As Amended August 27, 2013
Majority vote. Budget Bill Appropriation Takes Effect
Immediately
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
BUDGET 22-0
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|Ayes:|Skinner, Gorell, Bloom, |
| |Campos, Chávez, Chesbro, |
| |Daly, Dickinson, Gordon, |
| |Grove, Jones-Sawyer, |
| |Mansoor, Melendez, |
| |Mitchell, Morrell, |
| |Mullin, Muratsuchi, |
| |Nazarian, Nestande, |
| |Stone, Ting, Wagner |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Creates the "Active Transportation Program" which
would distribute funding for human-powered transportation
projects and programs. Specifically, this bill :
1) Defines the goals of the Active Transportation Program
as:
a) Increasing the proportion of trips accomplished by
biking and walking;
b) Increasing safety and mobility for non-motorized users;
c) Advancing active transportation efforts of regional
agencies to achieve the greenhouse gas reduction goals as
established pursuant to SB 375 (Steinberg), Chapter 728,
Statues of 2008;
d) Enhancing Public Health, including the reduction of
childhood obesity through the use of program funding,
including the use of Safe Routes to Schools programs;
e) Ensuring that disadvantaged communities fully share in
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the benefit of the program; and,
f) Providing a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many
types of active transportation users.
2) Articulates funding for the Active Transportation
Program by:
a) Specifying the program is funded with all federal
Transportation Alternative Program funding, except funds
for recreational trails, $21 million of federal Highway
Safety Improvement funds, and State Highway Account funds;
b) Allocating 40% of the funding to metropolitan planning
organizations in urban areas with populations above 200,000
in proportion to their relative share of populations;
c) Allocating 10% of funding for small urban and rural
regions with populations below 200,000; and,
d) Allocating half the funding to the California
Transportation Commission (CTC) to program for projects on
a statewide basis, subject to guidelines.
3) Requires the CTC to develop guidelines and project
selection criteria based upon the goals of the program by:
a) Convening a working group of stakeholders to develop the
guidelines;
b) Requiring a minimum of 25% of overall Active
Transportation Program funding benefit disadvantaged
communities, as defined in the guidelines;
c) Specifying that the guidelines must be consistent with
the goals of the Active Transportation Program; and,
d) Providing a list of eligible project types and project
selection criteria that must be incorporated in the
guidelines.
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4) Requires reporting to the Legislature on the guidelines
adopted by CTC and the status of the Active Transportation
program.
5) States Legislative intent that the Environmental
Enhancement and Mitigation Program fund receive $7 million
per year.
6) Consolidates the Bicycle Transportation Account and the
Bikeway Account with the State Highway Account on July 1,
2014.
7) Makes inoperative on July 1, 2014, certain existing
statutory provisions relating to the "Safe Routes to
Schools" program that contradict language in Active
Transportation Program.
8) Contains the reappropriation of $10 million from the
Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program Fund to
the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency for grants
awarded by the Secretary to support local environmental
enhancement and mitigation programs.
9) Contains an appropriation allowing this bill to take
effect immediately upon enactment
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill allocates federal and state
transportation funding already contained within the 2013-14
Budget and will not require additional resources or costs to
implement.
COMMENTS : This budget trailer bill makes statutory changes
necessary to implement the Active Transportation Program, which
changes the way the state allocates funds for various
human-powered transportation activities and programs. The
Administration proposed this new program in the January 2013
budget proposal, but due to the complex nature of the programs,
and the scope of the changes proposed, the Legislature chose to
defer action on this proposal when adopting the June 15th budget
package and instead froze funds for these purposes and inserted
intent language that the program would be developed before the
end of the 2014 Legislative Session.
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The new Active Transportation Program will divide the $129.5
million for active transportation projects between the state and
regions subject to guidelines that will be adopted by the CTC.
This replaces the current system of small-dedicated grant
programs, which fund programs like Safe Routes to Schools,
bicycle programs, and recreational trails. The intent of
combining this funding is to improve the flexibility of these
funds and reduce the administrative burden of having several
small independent grant programs.
The Active Transportation Program, as articulated in this bill
and in budget bill provisions contained in SB 95 (Budget and
Fiscal Review Committee) and AB 101 (Budget Committee) differs
from the Administration's initial proposal in several areas.
These changes reflect compromises reached with various
stakeholders and mirror concerns raised about the proposal in
budget hearings. Among these changes:
1)Funding for the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation
Program continues to remain a stand-alone programs
administered by the Natural Resource Agency instead of being
consolidated in the Active Transportation Program.
2)The Safe Routes to Schools program is guaranteed at least $24
million of funding from the Statewide Active Transportation
Program funds for three years. Of this amount, at least $7.2
million is available for non-infrastructure program needs
including the continuation of technical assistance by the
state. In the original proposal, the Safe Routes to Schools
program had no funding minimum.
3)This proposal includes a requirement that 25% of all program
funds benefit disadvantaged communities, an addition to the
January proposal.
4)The state will not exercise its option to opt out of using
federal funds transportation funds for recreational trails,
which was initially part of the administration's proposal. In
addition, the Department of Park and Recreation will retain
$3.4 million of federal funds for recreational trails.
Analysis Prepared by: Christian Griffith / BUDGET/ (916)
319-2099
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FN:
0002076