BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 1312
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          Date of Hearing:   June 16, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
                               Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
               SB 1312 (Steinberg) - As Introduced:  February 21, 2014

           SENATE VOTE  :  32-0
           
          SUBJECT  :  California Transportation Commission:  annual reports

           SUMMARY  :  Deletes obsolete provisions related to the California  
          Transportation Commission's (CTC's) annual report.  

           EXISTING LAW  : 

          1)Establishes the CTC and vests it with the responsibility to  
            advise and assist the Secretary of Transportation and the  
            Legislature in formulating and evaluating state policies and  
            plans for transportation programs in the state.  

          2)Requires the CTC to adopt and submit to the Legislature by  
            December 15 of each year an annual report that includes:

             a)   A summary of its prior-year decisions in allocating  
               transportation capital outlay appropriations and a  
               discussion of timely and relevant transportation issues  
               facing the State of California;

             b)   An explanation and summary of major policies and  
               decisions adopted by the CTC during the previously  
               completed state and federal fiscal year, with an  
               explanation of any changes in policy associated with the  
               performance of its duties and responsibilities over the  
               past year; and,

             c)   For the years 2001 to 2008, inclusive:,

               i)     A summary and discussion of short-term loans and  
                 transfers authorized as part of the now obsolete Traffic  
                 Congestion Relief Act of 2000;

               ii)    A summary and discussion on the cash-flow and  
                 project delivery impact of those loans and transfers;  
                 and, 









                                                                  SB 1312
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               iii)   A summary of any guidance provided to the department  
                 relative to those loans and transfers.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  The CTC is responsible for advising and assisting the  
          Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency and the  
          Legislature in formulating and evaluating state policies and  
          plans for California's transportation programs.  It carries out  
          these responsibilities, in part, by reporting annually to the  
          Legislature on a number of general and specific items related to  
          transportation policies and programs.  

          In 2000, the Legislature enacted the Traffic Congestion Relief  
          Act (AB 2928 (Torlakson) Chapter 91, Statutes of 2000) and  
          created the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCRF) to provide  
          financing for traffic congestion relief, local streets and roads  
          improvements, and mass transit operations using revenue from  
          sales tax on gasoline.  

          The following year, the Legislature passed AB 438 (Committee on  
          Budget), Chapter 113, Statutes of 2001) to restructure the  
          financing mechanism and other provisions to preserve the use of  
          gasoline sales tax revenues in 2001-02 and 2002-03 for budgetary  
          purposes.  AB 438 included provisions temporarily authorizing  
          short-term loans and transfer between the State Highway Account  
          and the TCRF.  AB 438 also required the CTC to include in its  
          annual report a discussion regarding the impacts of those loans  
          and transfers.  

          Provisions authorizing the short-term loans and transfers become  
          inoperative on July 1, 2014, and are repealed as of January 1,  
          2015.  This bill repeals CTC's related reporting requirements.  

           Related legislation  :  SB 486 (DeSaulnier) modifies processes and  
          procedures related to adoption of the Interregional  
          Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Program and the State  
          Highway Operation and Protection Program.  SB 486 also includes  
          provisions identical to the provisions of this bill.  SB 486 is  
          scheduled to be heard in this committee on June 23, 2014.  

           Previous legislation  :  AB 2928 (Torlakson), Chapter 91, Statutes  
          of 2000, enacted the Traffic Congestion Relief Act of 2000 and  
          created the TCRF.  









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          AB 438 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 113, Statutes of 2001,  
          authorized short-term loans and transfers between the TCRF and  
          the State Highway Account, until July 1, 2008, and added the  
          requirement that the CTC include in its annual report the  
          provisions that this bill repeals.  

          AB 105 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 6, Statutes of 2011, was  
          the budget trailer bill for 2011 and included provisions to  
          extend, until July 1, 2014,  the authority for short-term loans  
          and transfers between the TCRF and the State Highway Account.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          None on file
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :   Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093