AB 2222, as introduced, Holden. Transit passes.
Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism relative to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates 10% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and 5% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program.
This bill would continuously appropriate $50,000,000 annually from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for the Transit Pass Program, to be administered by the Department of Transportation. The bill would provide for moneys made available for the program to be allocated by the Controller, as directed by the department, to support transit pass programs of public agencies that provide free or reduced-fare transit passes to public school students and community college, California State University, and University of California students. The bill would require the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the State Air Resources Board, to develop guidelines that describe the methodologies that recipient public agencies would use to demonstrate that the proposed expenditures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would require at least 50 percent of the moneys allocated under the Transit Pass Program to benefit disadvantaged communities, as specified.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) Student transit pass programs have been shown to increase
4overall transit ridership and fill empty seats on trains and buses,
5resulting in reduced costs per rider and improved service because
6of higher demand.
7(b) Targeting student transit passes to middle school, high
8school, college, and university students can promote the
9development of lifelong transit riders and further bolster the
10capacity and reliability of our transit systems.
11(c) Student transit pass programs in this state and across the
12country have resulted in significant increases in
transit ridership
13and have made it easier and cheaper for students to get to schools
14and to jobs.
15(d) Student transit pass programs can help the state reduce
16greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, petroleum use,
17and air pollution, and improve overall community health.
18(e) Student transit passes lower pollution around elementary
19schools, thereby improving student health.
20(f) Schools are often the major generators of traffic in cities,
21and student transit pass programs can help reduce the traffic and
22parking problems in neighborhoods around schools.
23(g) Student transit pass programs can reduce the need for
24colleges to use campus land for expensive parking structures when
25this land and money could be better used for educational purposes.
26(h) Student transit pass programs have decreased the need to
27drive to and from school, along with the costs associated with
28driving to and from school, thereby reducing the overall cost of
29school attendance and reducing parental burdens for working
30families.
P3 1(i) A University of California, Los Angeles, study of 35 college
2and university student transit pass programs across the United
3States in 2001 showed ridership increases of 71 to 200 percent
4after the implementation of these programs.
Section 39719 of the Health and Safety Code is
6amended to read:
(a) The Legislature shall appropriate the annual
8proceeds of the fund for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas
9emissions in this state in accordance with the requirements of
10Section 39712.
11(b) To carry out a portion of the requirements of subdivision
12(a), annual proceeds are continuously appropriated for the
13following:
14(1) Beginning in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and notwithstanding
15Section 13340 of the Government Code, 35 percent of annual
16proceeds are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal
17years, for transit, affordable housing, and sustainable communities
18programs as following:
19(A) Ten percent of the annual proceeds of the
fund is hereby
20continuously appropriated to the Transportation Agency for the
21Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program created by Part 2
22(commencing with Section 75220) of Division 44 of the Public
23Resources Code.
24(B) Five percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby
25continuously appropriated to the Low Carbon Transit Operations
26Program created by Part 3 (commencing with Section 75230) of
27Division 44 of the Public Resources Code. Funds shall be allocated
28by the Controller, according to requirements of the program, and
29pursuant to the distribution formula in subdivision (b) or (c) of
30Section 99312 of, and Sections 99313 and 99314 of, the Public
31Utilities Code.
32(C) Twenty percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby
33continuously appropriated to the Strategic Growth Council for the
34Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program created
35by Part 1 (commencing
with Section 75200) of Division 44 of the
36Public Resources Code. Of the amount appropriated in this
37subparagraph, no less than 10 percent of the annual proceeds, shall
38be expended for affordable housing, consistent with the provisions
39of that program.
P4 1(2) Beginning in the 2015-16 fiscal year, notwithstanding
2Section 13340 of the Government Code, 25 percent of the annual
3proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the
4High-Speed Rail Authority for the following components of the
5initial operating segment and Phase I Blended System as described
6in the 2012 business plan adopted pursuant to Section 185033 of
7the Public Utilities Code:
8(A) Acquisition and construction costs of the project.
9(B) Environmental review and design costs of the project.
10(C) Other capital costs of the project.
11(D) Repayment of any loans made to the authority to fund the
12project.
13(3) Beginning in the 2016-17 fiscal year, fifty million dollars
14($50,000,000) annually from the proceeds of the fund is hereby
15continuously appropriated to the Transit Pass Program created
16pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) of Division
1744 of the Public Resources Code.
18(c) In determining the amount of annual proceeds of the fund
19for purposes of the calculation in subdivision (b), the funds subject
20to Section 39719.1 shall not be included.
Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added to
22Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
23
The Transit Pass Program is hereby created, to be
27administered by the Department of Transportation. Moneys made
28available for the program shall be allocated by the Controller, as
29directed by the department, to support transit pass programs that
30provide free or reduced-fare transit passes to public school students
31and community college, California State University, and University
32of California students.
An eligible applicant under the program shall be a
34public agency, including, but not limited to, a transit operator,
35school district, community college district, the California State
36University, the University of California, or a city or county.
The Department of Transportation, in coordination with
38the State Air Resources Board, shall develop guidelines that
39describe the methodologies that recipient public agencies shall use
40to demonstrate that the proposed expenditures will reduce
P5 1greenhouse gas emissions. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
211340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of the Government Code does not
3apply to the development of guidelines for the program pursuant
4to this part.
At least 50 percent of the moneys allocated pursuant
6to this part shall benefit disadvantaged communities consistent
7with the guidance provided by the State Air Resources Board
8pursuant to Section 39715 of the Health and Safety Code.
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