BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 99
Author: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
Amended: 9/3/13
Vote: 21
PRIOR SENATE VOTES NOT RELEVANT
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not Available
SUBJECT : Budget Trailer Bill: Active Transportation Plan
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill creates the "Active Transportation Program"
which distributes funding for human-powered transportation
projects and programs.
Assembly Amendments delete the Senate version of the bill, which
expressed legislative intent to enact statutory changes relating
to the Budget Act, and instead add the current language.
ANALYSIS :
This bill:
1.Defines the goals of the "Active Transportation Program"
(Program) as:
A. Increasing the proportion of trips accomplished by
biking and walking;
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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
the benefit of the Program; and
F. Providing a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many
types of active transportation users.
1.Articulates funding for the 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.
1.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
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communities, as defined in the guidelines;
C. Specifying that the guidelines must be consistent with
the goals of the Program; and
D. Providing a list of eligible project types and project
selection criteria that must be incorporated in the
guidelines.
1.Requires reporting to the Legislature on the guidelines
adopted by CTC and the status of the Program.
2.States Legislative intent that the Environmental Enhancement
and Mitigation Program fund receive $7 million per year.
3.Consolidates the Bicycle Transportation Account and the
Bikeway Account with the State Highway Account on July 1,
2014.
4.Makes inoperative on July 1, 2014, certain existing statutory
provisions relating to the "Safe Routes to Schools" program
that contradict language in the Program.
5.Contains the re-appropriation of $10 million from the
Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program Fund to the
Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency (Secretary) for
grants awarded by the Secretary to support local environmental
enhancement and mitigation programs.
6.Contains an appropriation allowing this bill to take effect
immediately upon enactment.
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
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the 2014 legislative session.
The new 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 Program, as articulated in this bill and in Budget Bill
provisions contained in SB 95 (Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
Committee) and AB 101 (Assembly 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 Program.
2.The Safe Routes to Schools program is guaranteed at least $24
million of funding from the 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
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Local: No
JA:ej 9/6/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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