BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 95 Page 1 (Without Reference to File) CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 95 (Committee on Budget) As Amended June 11, 2015 Majority vote. Budget Bill Appropriation Takes Effect Immediately -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: | |(March 23, |SENATE: | |(June 15, 2015) | | | |2015) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- (vote not relevant) (vote not available) Original Committee Reference: BUDGET SUMMARY: Makes statutory changes related to transportation that are necessary to implement the 2015-16 budget package. Specifically, this bill: 1)Extends the suspension for one year, to July 1, 2016, on a provision that restricts transit agencies from using State Transit Assistance funding on operations if their operational AB 95 Page 2 costs have exceed the consumer price index in the previous year. 2)Abolishes three obsolete special funds that are no longer active: the Transportation Investment Fund, the Pedestrian Safety Account, and the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds Subaccount in the Special Deposit Fund. 3)Simplifies High Speed Rail reporting requirements to align with Business Plan's release, which is every other year, and repeals the requirement for the staff management report. 4)Modifies the requirements of qualifications of specific High Speed Rail Peer Review Group member positions to broaden eligibility to include experience with large infrastructure projects and experience governing intercity of commuter passenger train services. 5)Provides authority for California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to relinquish the Tower Bridge to either or both the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento, pending agreement from the cities. 6)Requires Caltrans to report on potential benefits to safety, greenhouse gas reduction, service levels, and operating costs by improving certain grade separations along the state intercity rail corridor. 7)Allows the County of Sacramento to expend local streets and roads funding on a soundwall project along the Interstate 80 corridor in the vicinity of Walerga Park. 8)Appropriates $5 million State Highway Account funds for the remediation of fish passage barriers caused by state highways and requires Caltrans to report on the progress of remediating barriers to fish passage. FISCAL EFFECT: This bill includes an appropriation of $5 million State Highway Account for the remediation of fish passage barriers caused by state highways. COMMENT: This budget trailer bill implements statutory changes AB 95 Page 3 related to transportation that were adopted as part of the 2015-16 budget process. Analysis Prepared by: Christian F. Griffith / BUDGET / (916) 319-2099 FN: 0000936