Amended in Assembly June 10, 2014

Amended in Senate January 27, 2014

Amended in Senate January 6, 2014

Amended in Senate April 1, 2013

Senate Bill No. 616

Introduced by Senator begin delete Wright end delete begin insert Roth end insert

(Coauthor: Senator Fuller)

February 22, 2013

An act begin insert to add Section 21683.4 to the Public Utilities Code, end insert relating to aviation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 616, as amended, begin delete Wright end delete   begin insert Roth end insert . Aeronautics Account: California Aid to Airports Program.

Existing federal law authorizes airport sponsors to submit applications to the Secretary of Transportation for financial assistance for airport improvement projects. Under federal law, upon approval by the Secretary of Transportation, the United States government may pay for certain project costs.

Existing law establishes the Aeronautics Account in the State Transportation Fund, and continuously appropriates the moneys in the account for expenditure by the Division of Aeronautics within the Department of Transportation and the California Transportation Commission. Existing law requires that funds in the account be paid to certain public entities owning and operating airports for projects for airport and aviation purposes, as defined, or operation and maintenance purposes, as defined. Existing law authorizes any balance remaining in the account to be used as a portion of the local match for federal Airport Improvement Program grants for certain airports. Existing law prohibits the California Transportation Commission from allocating funds until the federal grant offer is accepted by the public entity and authorizes the division, upon allocation of the funds by the commission, to pay a public entity 5% of the amount of a federal Airport Improvement Program grant.

begin delete

Existing regulations implement the California Aid to Airports Program, which includes airport improvement program matching grants and acquisition and development grants. These regulations prohibit payments from the account for the California Aid to Airports Program for projects that the sponsor, as defined, has already started or completed prior to allocation of airport improvement program matching or acquisition and development funds, with the exception of projects for land acquisition, as defined, and project services, as defined.

end delete begin delete

This bill would, until July 1, 2015, authorize payments from the account for the California Aid to Airports Program for projects that the sponsor has started or completed in accordance with a federal Airport Improvement Program grant, unless the project was started or completed prior to January 1, 2014.

end delete begin insert

This bill would require the department to certify that, at the time a grant is issued, the department has all statements, resolutions, and other documentation required for fulfillment of grant terms and conditions. This bill would allow the recipient of the grant to begin the project for which the grant was awarded upon receipt of this certification. If, after transmitting this certification, the department determines additional documentation is required, this bill would allow the recipient of the grant 45 days to submit additional required documentation. The bill would prevent the applicant from losing eligibility for the grant due to the need for additional documentation during this 45-day period.

end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 21683.4 is added to the end insert begin insert Public Utilities
Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 21683.4. end insert   

In administering financial assistance programs
pursuant to Sections 21602, 21682, 21683, and 21683.1, the
department shall certify to an applicant that at the time a grant
award is issued, statements, resolutions, and other documentation
required by the department for fulfillment of grant terms and
conditions have been received by the department. Upon receipt of
certification from the department, the applicant may begin the
project for which funds have been awarded. After the department
has transmitted certification to the applicant, if the department
requires further documentation to satisfy grant terms and
conditions, the applicant shall have 45 days to submit the required
documentation, during which time the applicant shall not lose
eligibility for the grant award due to the department’s need for
further documentation.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 4059
of the California Code of Regulations, until July 1, 2015, payments
from the Aeronautics Account for the California Aid to Airports
Program shall be allowed for projects that the sponsor, as defined
by subdivision (y) of Section 4052 of the California Code of
Regulations, has started or completed in accordance with a federal
Airport Improvement Program grant, unless the project was started
or completed prior to January 1, 2014.

end delete