BILL NUMBER: SB 792	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator DeSaulnier

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to add Sections 66537, 66537.1, 66537.2, 66537.3, 66537.4,
66537.5, and 66537.6 to the Government Code, relating to planning.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 792, as introduced, DeSaulnier. Regional entities: Bay Area.
   Existing law creates the Metropolitan Transportation Commission,
the Bay Area Toll Authority, the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commission, with various powers and duties relative to all or a
portion of the 9-county San Francisco Bay Area region with respect to
transportation, air quality, and environmental planning, as
specified. Another regional entity, the Association of Bay Area
Governments, is created as a joint powers agency comprised of cities
and counties under existing law with regional planning
responsibilities. Existing law provides for a joint policy committee
of certain regional entities in this 9-county area to collaborate on
regional coordination. Existing law requires regional transportation
planning agencies, as part of the regional transportation plan in
urban areas, to develop a sustainable communities strategy pursuant
to Senate Bill 375 of the 2007-08 Regular Session coordinating
transportation, land use, and air quality planning, with specified
objectives.
    This bill would require the joint policy committee to prepare a
regional organization plan for the affected regional entities. The
organization plan would include a plan for consolidating certain
functions that are common to the regional entities and reducing
overhead costs. The bill would require the joint policy committee to
hold at least one public hearing in each county of the region and to
adopt a final plan by June 30, 2015. The bill would also require the
joint policy committee to develop and adopt public community outreach
programs and to maintain an Internet Web site. The bill would
require the joint policy committee to conduct a review of the
policies and plans, and associated regulations, of each regional
entity, including an assessment of the consistency of the policies,
plans, and regulations among the regional entities with the
requirements of Senate Bill 375 of the 2007-08 Regular Session. The
bill would provide that the joint policy committee shall be
responsible for ensuring that the sustainable communities strategy
for the region integrates transportation, land use, and air quality
management consistent with that legislation. The bill would also
require the joint policy committee to appoint an advisory committee
on economic competitiveness with specified members from the business
community to adopt goals and policies related to the inclusion of
economic development opportunities in the plans of the regional
entities. By imposing new duties on the joint policy committee, the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
    The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 66537 is added to the Government Code, to read:

   66537.  For purposes of Sections 66537.1 to 66537.5, inclusive,
the following definitions shall apply:
   (a) "Region" means the area encompassed by the Counties of
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
   (b) "Regional entities" means the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission, including any joint exercise of powers agencies that
include the commission as a member agency; the Bay Area Toll
Authority; the Bay Area Air Quality Management District; the San
Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; and the
Association of Bay Area Governments.
  SEC. 2.  Section 66537.1 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.1.  (a) The joint policy committee shall prepare a regional
organization plan. The joint policy committee shall adopt goals and
policies to govern the preparation of the plan. Among the goals shall
be a statement as to the expected reduction in the cost of overhead
and in the operation and management of the regional entities. All
cost saving shall be directed to the joint policy committee's general
fund. In addition, goals shall be adopted for integrating the
regional planning requirements for the regional plans of each
regional entity into a comprehensive regional plan.
   (b) The regional organization plan shall include a plan for
consolidating the functions that are common to the regional entities,
including, but not limited to, personnel and human resources, budget
and financial services, electronic data and communications systems,
legal services, contracting and procurement of goods and services,
public information and outreach services, intergovernmental
relations, transportation, land use, economic, and related
forecasting models, and other related activities. Consideration shall
be given to ensuring that there are common personnel classifications
where appropriate among the regional entities, and the consolidation
of other functions or activities, as deemed feasible, that will
further the mission of the joint policy committee and will reduce
redundancy. The plan shall be updated as determined by the joint
policy committee.
   (c) On or before December 31, 2014, the staff shall submit to the
joint policy committee a draft regional organization plan. The joint
policy committee shall hold at least one public hearing in each
county of the region to receive public comment. A final plan shall
thereafter be adopted for implementation on or before June 30, 2015.
  SEC. 3.  Section 66537.2 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.2.  The joint policy committee shall develop and adopt
public and community outreach policies to govern the scheduling of
joint policy committee meetings, the meetings of regional entities,
the meetings of standing committees, and meetings of ad hoc or other
temporary committees. In developing the policies, the joint policy
committee shall ensure that outreach programs will utilize all
available communication technologies, including webcasting and social
media, print, radio, and television. The joint policy committee
shall also establish policies for the holding workshops of the joint
policy committee and the regional entities in the cities and counties
of the region. The joint policy committee shall provide an
opportunity for the public to comment on the draft and the final
recommended policies. The policies shall be adopted on or before
October 31, 2014.
  SEC. 4.  Section 66537.3 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.3.  The joint policy committee shall maintain an Internet
Web site containing relevant information pertaining to the joint
policy committee's activities.
  SEC. 5.  Section 66537.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.4.  The joint policy committee shall be subject to the Ralph
M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of
Division 2 of Title 5).
  SEC. 6.  Section 66537.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.5.  (a) Beginning on January 1, 2014, the joint policy
committee shall review the policies and plans, and associated
regulations, of each regional entity. The review shall include an
assessment of the consistency of the policies, plans, and regulations
among the regional entities with the requirements of Senate Bill 375
of the 2007-08 Regular Session. The joint policy committee shall
issue a consistency report describing the findings of this review.
The joint policy committee shall hold public and community hearings
in accordance with its public outreach policies regarding the draft
consistency findings. The findings of the consistency review shall be
used in fulfilling the joint policy committee's regional planning
responsibilities.
   (b) The joint policy committee shall be responsible for ensuring
that the sustainable communities strategy for the region integrates
transportation, land use, and air quality management consistent with
the requirements of Senate Bill 375 of the 2007-08 Regular Session.
  SEC. 7.  Section 66537.6 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   66537.6.  (a) The joint policy committee shall appoint an advisory
committee on economic competitiveness with members from the business
community, including representatives of small businesses, technology
and manufacturing sectors, community colleges, public and private
universities, labor, local governments, and other organizations
involved with the private economy.
   (b) The joint policy committee, in consultation with the advisory
committee, shall adopt goals and policies related to the inclusion of
economic development opportunities in the plans of the regional
entities. The goals and policies shall also promote amenities that
are special to the region and contribute to the region's quality of
life.
  SEC. 8.   If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.