BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1312 Page 1 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 Page 2 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. SB 1312 Page 3 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