BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
Senator Jim Beall, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1813 Hearing Date: June 14,
2016
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|Author: |Frazier |
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|Version: |2/8/2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant|Manny Leon |
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SUBJECT: High-Speed Rail Authority: membership
DIGEST: This bill adds one member of the California State
Assembly and one member of the California State Senate to the
California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) Board of Directors,
as ex-officio, non-voting members.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Creates the HSRA with specific powers and duties relative to
the development and implementation of an intercity high-speed
rail system in California.
2)Defines that the HSRA board be composed of nine members, with
five members appointed by the Governor, two members appointed
by the Senate Committee on Rules, and two members appointed by
the Speaker of the Assembly.
3)Defines the terms for office and filling vacancies.
4)Authorizes the HSRA to appoint an executive director and key
executives for various areas of management.
This bill:
1)Provides for the addition of two ex-officio, non-voting
AB 1813 (Frazier) Page 2 of ?
members to the HSRA Board of Directors: one member of the
California State Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules, and one member of the California State Assembly
appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
2)Provides that the ex-officio members would not vote on issues
before the HSRA Board of Directors but shall participate in
the activities of the HSRA to the extent that participation is
not incompatible with their positions as Members of the
Legislature.
3)Clarifies that only voting members of the HSRA Board of
Directors shall elect a chairperson, constitute a quorum,
receive compensation for HSRA business, and receive
reimbursement for actual travel expenses.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. The author asserts, "The State of California and its
voters have committed billions of dollars of public funds to
the largest infrastructure project in the United States, and
the oversight of its ongoing development and construction is
of utmost importance to the Legislature. To that end, by
adding two ex-officio members, one member of the Assembly and
one member of the Senate, to the HSRA Board of Directors,
consistent oversight regarding the development and
construction of the system could be enhanced. Additionally,
the ex-officio members can serve as direct liaisons to the
Legislature for members to have a better understanding of the
workings of the project and offer counsel and assistance from
the legislative branch perspective."
2)Brief history of HSRA. In 1993, California established the
Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission to develop a framework
for creating a statewide high-speed rail system. Following a
study released by the Commission in 1996 indicating the
feasibility of such a statewide system, the Legislature passed
SB 1420 (Kopp, Chapter 796, Statutes of 1996), which
established the HSRA and directed it to continue planning for
the system. HSRA serves as the administrative body, with
primary responsibility for overseeing the planning and
construction of the high-speed rail system.
Several years later, on November 4, 2008, the voters of
California passed Proposition 1A, "to initiate the
AB 1813 (Frazier) Page 3 of ?
construction of a high-speed train system that connects the
San Francisco Transbay Terminal to Los Angeles Union Station
and Anaheim, and links the state's major population centers,
including Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central
Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County, and San
Diego." Proposition 1A authorized the issuance and sale of
$9.95 billion in general obligation bonds "upon appropriation
by the Legislature" to begin construction of the high-speed
train system. In July 2012, the Legislature approved SB 1029
(Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, Chapter 152, Statutes
of 2012), which appropriated nearly $8 billion in federal
funds and state bond funds to begin the construction of the
Initial Operating Section (IOS) from Madera to Bakersfield.
Additionally, as part of the 2014-15 state budget, 25 percent
of cap-and-trade revenues are to be continuously appropriated
to the project.
3)Other state commissions. Numerous other boards and
commissions in California have ex-officio, non-voting seats
for members of the Assembly and the Senate. For example, in
addition to the commissioners appointed by the Governor and
the Legislature, the Assembly and Senate each appoint one
ex-officio member to the California Transportation Commission.
RELATED LEGISLATION:
AB 2847 (Patterson) - requires the HSRA to include projected
financing costs, for a proposed segment or combination of
segments, in the business plan. Further, requires HSRA to
identify any significant changes in scope for segments
identified in the previous business plan or project update
report, and provide an explanation of adjustments in cost and
schedule attributable to those changes. This bill is pending
hearing in this committee.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 76-0
Approps: 18-0
AB 1813 (Frazier) Page 4 of ?
Trans: 16-0
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 8, 2016.)
SUPPORT:
Association for California High Speed Trains
OPPOSITION:
None received
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