BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: sb 1312 SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Steinberg VERSION: 2/21/14 Analysis by: Erin Riches FISCAL: no Hearing date: April 22, 2014 SUBJECT: California Transportation Commission: annual report DESCRIPTION: This bill eliminates an outdated reporting requirement for the California Transportation Commission (CTC). ANALYSIS: The Legislature established the CTC in 1978 to help achieve a single, unified state transportation policy. The commission programs and allocates funds for highway, passenger rail, and transit construction and improvement projects throughout the state. The CTC also advises the Legislature and the secretary of the Transportation Agency on transportation policy and programs. The governor appoints nine members to the CTC and the Senate Rules Committee and Assembly Speaker each appoint two members. In addition to these nine voting members, two ex officio, non-voting members sit on the CTC; typically these individuals are the chairs of the respective policy committees in each house of the Legislature. Existing law requires the CTC to adopt and submit to the Legislature, by December 15th of each year, an annual report summarizing the commission's prior-year decisions in allocating transportation capital outlay appropriations, and identifying timely and relevant transportation issues facing the state. The report must include an explanation and summary of major policies and decisions adopted by the CTC during the prior fiscal year, and may include a discussion of any significant upcoming transportation issues the CTC anticipates may be of concern to the public and the Legislature. Existing law, enacted as part of the 2001-02 budget agreement, authorizes the state Department of Transportation (Caltrans), until June 30, 2008, to make short-term loans and transfers SB 1312 (STEINBERG) Page 2 among specified funds in order to ensure adequate cash for projects. Subsequent legislation extended this authority to June 30, 2011. Existing law also requires CTC to include in its annual reports for 2001 to 2008 a summary and discussion of these loans and transfers, as well as their impact on cash flow and project delivery, and a summary of any guidance provided by CTC to Caltrans related to these loans and transfers. This bill deletes from statute the requirements specifically relating to the 2001-2008 CTC annual reports. COMMENTS: 1.Purpose . The author's office states that this bill cleans up unnecessary language from existing law by eliminating a reporting mandate on the CTC which is no longer relevant. This bill does not otherwise affect the statutory requirement for the CTC to submit an annual report to the Legislature. 2.Previous legislation . AB 268 (Assembly Budget Committee), Chapter 756, Statutes of 2008, extended the authority for cash-flow borrowing among transportation special funds, as well as the accompanying reporting requirements, from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2011. Subsequently, SB 854 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee) and AB 1614 (Assembly Budget Committee), both of 2010, each would have extended the authority for cash-flow borrowing among transportation special funds, as well as the accompanying reporting requirements, from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2014. SB 854 died in conference committee and AB 1614 died on the Assembly Floor. POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.) SUPPORT: None received. OPPOSED: None received. SB 1312 (STEINBERG) Page 3