BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE
                         Senator Robert M. Hertzberg, Chair
                                2015 - 2016  Regular 

                              
          
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          |Bill No:  |AB 2444                          |Hearing    |6/29/16  |
          |          |                                 |Date:      |         |
          |----------+---------------------------------+-----------+---------|
          |Author:   |Eduardo Garcia                   |Tax Levy:  |No       |
          |----------+---------------------------------+-----------+---------|
          |Version:  |6/23/16                          |Fiscal:    |Yes      |
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          |Consultant|Grinnell                                              |
          |:         |                                                      |
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             California Parks, Water, Climate, and Coastal Protection and  
                    Outdoor Access For All Act of 2016 (Urgency)



          Enacts the California Parks, Water, Climate, and Coastal  
          Protection and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2016, which places  
          a $3.12 billion bond before voters at the November, 2016  
          election.


           Background 

           When public agencies issue bonds, they essentially borrow money  
          from investors, who provide cash in exchange for the agencies'  
          commitment to repay the principal amount of the bond plus  
          interest.  Bonds are usually either revenue bonds, which repay  
          investors out of revenue generated from the project the agency  
          buys with bond proceeds, or general obligation bonds, which the  
          public agency pays out of general revenues and are guaranteed by  
          its full faith and credit.  

          Section One of Article XVI of the California Constitution and  
          the state's General Obligation Bond Law guide the issuance of  
          the state's general obligation debt.  The Constitution allows  
          the Legislature to place general obligation bonds on the ballot  
          for specific purposes with a two-thirds vote of the Assembly and  
          Senate.  Voters also can place bonds on the ballot by  
          initiative, as they have for parks, water projects, high-speed  
          rail, and stem cell research, among others.  Either way, general  








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          obligation bonds must be ratified by majority vote of the  
          state's electorate.  Unlike local general obligation bonds, the  
          state's electorate doesn't automatically trigger an increased  
          tax to repay the bonds when they approve a state general  
          obligation bond.  Article XVI of the California Constitution  
          commits the state to repay investors from general revenues above  
          all other claims, except payments to public education.   
          California voters approved $38.4 billion of general obligation  
          bonds between 1974 and 1999, but approximately $95 billion since  
          2000.  Additionally, the Legislature enacted and voters approved  
          Proposition 1, which authorized $7.1 billion in bonds for water  
          quality and supply infrastructure (AB 1471, Rendon, 2014).

          Bond acts have standard provisions that authorize the Treasurer  
          to sell a specified amount of bonds, and generally include  
          several uniform provisions that:

                 Establish the state's obligation to repay them, and  
               pledge its full faith and credit to repayment, 

                 Set forth issuance procedures, and link the bond act to  
               the state's General Obligation Bond Law,  

                 Create a finance committee with specified membership,  
               chaired by the State Treasurer,  

                 Charge the committee to determine whether it is  
               "necessary or desirable" to issue the bonds,

                 Add other mechanisms necessary for the Treasurer and the  
               Department of Finance to implement the bond act, including  
               allowing the board to request a loan from the Pooled Money  
               Investment Board to advance funds for bond-funded programs  
               prior to the bond sale, among others.

          In bond acts, the Legislature generally:

                 Sets forth categories of projects eligible for bond  
               funds, such as library construction or school facility  
               modernization, 

                 Chooses an administrative agency to award the funds,  
               such as the State Librarian or the State Allocation Board,   
                









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                 Details the criteria to guide the administrative  
               agency's funding in each category, 

                 Enacts enforcement and audit provisions, and

                 Provides for an election to approve the bond act.

          Should the voters approve the bond act, the Legislature then  
          appropriates funds to the chosen agencies to fund projects  
          consistent with the criteria, generally as part of the Budget  
          Act.  The Department of Finance then surveys agencies to  
          determine need for bond funds based on a project's readiness,  
          and then asks the Treasurer to sell bonds in a specified amount.  
           After the bond sale, the Department of Finance determines which  
          bond acts and agencies receive bond proceeds.  

          In recent years, the Legislature has enacted, and voters  
          approved the following bonds for parks:

                 Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and  
               Coastal Protection Act of 2000 of $2.1 billion (AB 18,  
               Villaraigosa), and

                 California Clean Water, Clean air, Safe neighborhood  
               parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002 of $2.6 billion  
               (AB 1602, Keeley). 

          The following bond act was placed on the ballot by initiative:

                 The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood  
               Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 of  
               $5.4 billion (Proposition 84).


           Proposed Law

           Assembly Bill 2444 enacts the California Parks, Water, Climate,  
          and Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2016,  
          which places a $3.12 billion bond on the November, 2016, ballot.  
           After bonds are issued and sold, the measure allows the  
          Legislature to appropriate funds according to the following  
          schedule










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                 $995 million to the Department of Parks and Recreation  
               (DPR) to create and expand safe neighborhood parks in  
               park-poor communities, in accordance with the competitive  
               grant program in the Statewide Park Development and  
               Community Revitalization Act of 2008 (AB 31, De León,  
               2008).

                 $1.055 billion for other park purposes, upon  
               appropriation by the Legislature, as follows:

                  o         $450 million to DPR for local park  
                    rehabilitation and improvement grants to local  
                    governments on a per capita basis.  60% of this  
                    allocation goes to cities and park districts using a  
                    formula provided in the bill, while 40% flows to  
                    counties, regional park and open space districts, open  
                    space districts or authorities, and regional open  
                    space districts, pursuant to a formula set in the  
                    bill.  The Director of DPR must prepare and adopt  
                    criteria and procedures for evaluating applications,  
                    which must contain a certification stating that the  
                    grant-funded project is consistent with the park and  
                    recreation element of the applicable city or county  
                    general plan.

                  o         $35 million for grants to cities and districts  
                    providing park and recreation services with  
                    populations of 200,000 or less, but in a county with a  
                    population of 500,000 or more.  Requires a 20% local  
                    match unless the entity is a disadvantaged community.   
                      

                  o         $120 million for competitive grants to  
                    regional park districts, counties, open space  
                    districts, open space authorities, and nonprofit  
                    organizations to expand, rehabilitate, or restore  
                    parks and park facilities, including trails, that  
                    facilitate new or enhanced use.

                  o         $50 million to the Natural Resources Agency  
                    for competitive grants to local agencies,  
                    conservancies, tribes, and nonprofit organizations to  
                    promote new or alternate access to parks, waterways,  
                    outdoor recreational pursuits, and forested or other  









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                    natural environments to encourage health-related  
                    commuting and opportunities for Californians to  
                    reconnect with nature.  Authorizes up to 25% of funds  
                    for innovative transportation programs for  
                    disadvantaged youth.  Requires a 20% match unless the  
                    entity is a disadvantaged community.
                  o         $50 million for competitive grants to cities,  
                    counties and districts in non-urbanized areas, as  
                    defined, and subject to specified criteria.  Requires  
                    a 20% local share match, unless the entity is a  
                    disadvantaged community.
                  o         $350 million to DPR to restore of existing  
                    state park facilities to preserve and increase public  
                    access, and to protect natural, cultural and historic  
                    resources in the parks.  At least 80% of the amount  
                    allocated must be used for capital improvements to  
                    address the DPR's deferred maintenance backlog.   
                    Further requires that of this total amount:

                       §              $20 million for enterprise projects  
                         that facilitate new or enhanced park use and user  
                         experiences that generate revenue.

                       §              $20 million for grants to local  
                         agencies that manage state parks to address  
                         urgent infrastructure needs.  A 25% local match  
                         is required unless the local entity is a  
                         disadvantaged community.

                       §              $50 million for direct distribution  
                         to the 12 districts within the DPR to address  
                         historic underinvestment in state park units.
                       §              $70 million to address major  
                         infrastructure rehabilitation, improve tourism  
                         and visitor experiences, and promote health and  
                         safety in state parks, according to the following  
                         schedule:

                            1.                  $10 million to implement a  
                              Central Valley State Park program, only for  
                              eligible parks in counties within the  
                              central valley from Sacramento County south  
                              to the Tehachapi Mountain Range.










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                            2.                  $10 million to implement a  
                              Central Coast State Park Program, with parks  
                              limited to those in Ventura County.

                            3.                  $15 million to implement  
                              an East Bay State Park Program.

                            4.                  $10 million to implement a  
                              High Desert-Coachella Valley State Park  
                              Program.

                            5.                  $10 million to implement  
                              an Inland Empire State Park Program.

                            6.                  $15 million to implement a  
                              San Diego State Park Program.

                 $1.070 billion for water, land conservation, climate  
               preparedness and habitat resilience, upon appropriation by  
               the Legislature, as follows:

                  o         $210 million to the Natural Resources Agency  
                    for grants for river parkways and urban creeks.   
                    Requires a 20% match unless the entity is a  
                    disadvantaged community, that 50% of the amount made  
                    available for projects to protect and enhance the  
                    upper and lower Los Angeles River and its tributaries,  
                    and not less than 5% of funds for the Santa Ana River  
                    program of the State Coastal Conservancy.

                  o         $245 million in the following amounts to:

                       §              Baldwin Hills Conservancy: $5  
                         million

                       §              California Tahoe Conservancy: $17.5  
                         million

                       §              Coachella Conservancy: $10 million

                       §              Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta  
                         Conservancy: $15 million

                       §              Salton Sea Authority: $25 million









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                       §              San Diego River Conservancy: $15  
                         million

                       §              San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles  
                         Rivers and Mountains Conservancy: $25 million

                       §              San Joaquin River Conservancy: $10  
                         million

                       §              Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy:  
                         $20 million

                       §              Sierra Nevada Conservancy: $22.5  
                         million

                       §              State Coastal Conservancy: $80  
                         million, of which 40% must be allocated to the  
                         San Francisco Bay Area program.

                  o         $615 million for climate adaptation and  
                    resiliency projects to improve a community's ability  
                    to adapt to climate change, including projects to  
                    improve and protect coastal and rural economies,  
                    agricultural viability, wildlife corridors or habitat,  
                    recreational opportunities, or drought tolerance and  
                    water retention, as follows:

                       §              $340 million to the Wildlife  
                         Conservation Board (WCB) for wildlife corridors  
                         and open space, for climate change adaptation,  
                         for species habitat, and for existing open space  
                         corridors and trail linkages.  Of this amount,  
                         $55 million must be available for implementation  
                         of Natural Community Conservation Plans, and $10  
                         million to the Department of Fish and Wildlife  
                         for competitive grants for wildlife and animal  
                         rehabilitation facilities operated by  
                         nongovernmental entities.

                       §              $80 million to the California  
                         Climate Resilience Account, for projects to  
                         assist coastal communities with climate change  
                         adaptation, including sea level rise and ocean  









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                         acidification, and the Pacific Flyway.

                       §              $15 million for projects that  
                         improve agricultural and open-space soil health,  
                         improve carbon soil sequestration, erosion  
                         control, water quality, and water retention.

                       §              $60 million for projects that reduce  
                         fire risk, improve forest health, and provide  
                         feedstock for compost, energy, or alternative  
                         fuels facilities, of which $5 million must be  
                         allocated from the Department of Forestry and  
                         Fire Protection to the California Tahoe  
                         Conservancy.

                       §              $40 million to the California  
                         Conservation Corps for park and watershed  
                         projects, of which 50% must be allocated to local  
                         certified conservation corps.

                       §              $80 million to the Natural Resources  
                         Agency for projects identified by local agencies,  
                         nongovernmental land conservation organizations,  
                         and tribes for:

                            1.                  Projects for restoration,  
                              protection and acquisition of natural,  
                              cultural, and historic resources.

                            2.                  Projects that convert or  
                              repurpose coastal zone properties formerly  
                              operating as fossil fuel power plants to  
                              permanently protected open space and parks.   


                            3.                  Projects that enhance  
                              water and natural resources or promote  
                              economic activity through improved  
                              recreation, tourism, or natural resource  
                              investment in areas of the state not within  
                              the jurisdiction of a state conservancy.   
                              Requires project applicants to provide a 20%  
                              match and to seek to leverage other  
                              available local, federal and nongovernmental  









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                              fund sources.



          Wherever feasible, the bill grants a preference for grant  
          projects whose application includes the use of the California  
          Conservation Corps, and a priority to projects that include  
          water efficiencies, stormwater capture, or carbon sequestration  
          features.  
          The bill allows 5% of grant funds to be spent on administration,  
          and up to 10% for planning and monitoring necessary for the  
          successful design, selection, and implementation of a project,  
          but does not restrict funds ordinarily used by an agency for  
          preliminary plans, working drawings, and construction as defined  
          in the annual Budget Act for a capital outlay project or grant  
          project. Planning may include feasibility studies for  
          environmental site cleanup that would further the purpose of a  
          project.

          The measure requires at least 20% of bond funds to be allocated  
          for projects in severely disadvantaged communities, and allows  
          up to 10% of funds of each funding category to be allocated for  
          technical assistance to disadvantaged communities.  Agencies  
          must operate a multidisciplinary technical assistance program  
          for disadvantaged communities.  Funds used for planning projects  
          or technical assistance to disadvantaged communities may exceed  
          the 10% cap if the state agency administering the programs  
          demonstrates a need for the additional funding.  AB 2444 defines  
          a "disadvantaged community" as a community with median household  
          income of 80% statewide average, and a "severely disadvantaged"  
          as one with 60%, using the same definitions from Proposition 84.  
           

          Each state agency receiving funding from the Bond must:

                 Develop and adopt project solicitation and evaluation  
               guidelines, which include monitoring and reporting  
               requirements, unless they've previously developed and  
               adopted them,

                 Conduct three public meetings, one each in Northern,  
               Central, and Southern California, to consider public  
               comments before finalizing the guidelines.  The agency must  
               publish the draft solicitation and evaluation guidelines on  









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               its Internet Web site at least 30 days before the public  
               meetings. 

                 Submit the guidelines to the Secretary of the Natural  
               Resources Agency, 

          The Secretary must verify that the guidelines are consistent  
          with applicable statutes and purposes enumerated in this bill,  
          and post an electronic form of the guidelines submitted by state  
          agencies and the subsequent verifications on the Natural  
          Resources Agency's Internet Web site.  Upon adoption, the bill  
          requires the Secretary to transmit copies of the guidelines to  
          the fiscal committees and the appropriate policy committees of  
          the Legislature.  The Secretary must also publish a list of all  
          bond-funded program and project expenditures pursuant at least  
          annually, in written form, and electronically on the agency's  
          Internet Web site.

          Additionally, the measure requires the Department of Finance to  
          provide for an independent audit of bond expenditures.  The  
          California State Auditor or the Controller may conduct a full  
          audit of any or all of the activities of that entity if an audit  
          required above reveals any impropriety.  Any state agency  
          issuing a bond-funded grant must require adequate reporting of  
          the expenditures of the funding from the grant.

          The measure incorporates standard provisions in general  
          obligation bond law either explicitly or by reference, including  
          charging the finance committee with determining whether it's  
          necessary and desirable to issue the bonds.  The bill creates  
          the California Parks, Water, Climate, and Coastal Protection and  
          Outdoor Access for All Act Finance Committee, comprised of the  
          Director of Finance, the Controller, and the Treasurer, who  
          serves as Chair.

          Additionally, AB 2444 directs the Secretary of State to submit  
          the Act to voters at the November 8, 2016, general election  
          notwithstanding several sections of the Elections Code.  The  
          measure makes legislative findings and declarations supporting  
          its provisions, and defines many of its terms.


           State Revenue Impact










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           No estimate.  


           Comments

           1.  Purpose of the bill  .  According to the author, "Investments  
          to improve and to further create parks and recreation areas, as  
          well as to create trail networks that provide access from  
          neighborhoods to parks and recreational opportunities, will help  
          ensure all Californians have access to safe places to exercise  
          and enjoy recreational activities.  Not only do parks and  
          natural spaces provide a memorable outdoor experience, they also  
          have numerous public safety, educational, and health benefits.   
          Additionally, continued investment in the state's parks, trails,  
          natural resources, and greening our urban areas will mitigate  
          the effects of climate change, providing California access to  
          its bountiful natural resources for future generations to come"
    
          2.   Sixteen tons  .  Debt is an essential part of almost every  
          government, business, and personal balance sheet, as borrowers  
          seek funds from lenders in exchange for a future commitment to  
          repay them.  However, evaluating the State's general obligation  
          debt is difficult; both the State Treasurer and the Legislative  
          Analyst's Office suggest there's no correct amount.  Instead,  
          experts suggest that states should look at three criteria:  
          affordability, comparability, and optimality:<1>

          California currently has $75 billion of general obligation and  
          $9.8 billion of lease revenue debt outstanding, which is  
          affordable.  The Governor's 2016 Five-Year Infrastructure Plan  
          states that the General Fund spent $5.2 billion on debt service  
          in 2014-15, which the plan estimates will grow to $5.6 billion  
          by 2019-20, not including special funds.  The Plan calculates  
          the Debt Service Ratio, or the ratio between debt service and  
          general fund revenues, as 4.69% in 2014-15, which falls slightly  
          to 4.3% in 2019-2020.  These totals increase to $7.2 billion in  
          2014-15 and $8.5 billion in 2019-20 when non-General Fund debt  
          service is included, but the ratio doesn't change significantly,  
          as the Plan estimates General Fund revenues to grow, and assumes  
          no new general obligation bond authorizations.  The State  
          ---------------------------
          <1> Robert Wassmer and Ronald Fisher "Debt Burdens of California  
          State and Local Governments: Past, Present and Future." As  
          requested and supported by the California Debt and Investment  
          Advisory Commission.  July 2011.








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          Treasurer calculates a debt service ratio of 6.84% in 2014-15,  
          and 6.79% in 2015-16; the percentages differ because the  
          Treasurer does not reflect offsets of federal government  
          subsidies or transfers from special funds.  While debt service  
          percentages are reasonable, every dollar spent on debt service  
          reduces the funding that is available for other priorities, and  
          debt service is one of the fastest growing state costs in recent  
          years, according to the Governor's Five-Year Infrastructure  
          Plan.  The Plan proposes only $350 million in new general  
          obligation bonds.

          California's comparability to other states is less favorable,  
          but improving.  The State Treasurer's 2015 Debt Affordability  
          Report, issued last October, contains the following chart:

           ---------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Debt Ratios Of 10 Most Populous States, Ranked By Ratio Of Debt |
          |To Personal Income                                              |
          |                                                                |
           ---------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |      State      |  Moody's/  | Debt to |Debt per |Debt as a % |
          |                 |   S&P/     |personal |capita(b)|            |
          |                 |  Fitch(a)  |income(b)|         |  of state  |
          |                 |            |         |         |GDP(b)(c)   |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Texas            |Aaa/AAA/AAA |  1.0%   |  $406   |.71%        |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |North Carolina   |Aaa/AAA/AAA |  1.9%   |  $739   |   1.56%    |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Michigan         |Aa2/AA-/AA  |  1.9%   |  $758   |   1.74%    |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Florida          |Aa1/AAA/AAA |  2.4%   |  $973   |   2.42%    |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Pennsylvania     |Aa3/AA-/AA- |  2.4%   | $1,117  |   2.21%    |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Ohio             |Aa1/AA+/AA+ |  2.7%   | $1,109  |   2.27%    |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Georgia          |Aaa/AAA/AAA |  2.8%   | $1,043  |   2.32%    |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |California       | Aa3/AA-/A+ |  5.1%   | $2,407  |   4.24%    |









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          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |New York         |Aa1/AA+/AA+ |  5.7%   | $3,092  |   4.66%    |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Illinois         |  A3/A-/A-  |  5.7%   | $2,681  |   4.79%    |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Moody's Median   |            |  2.5%   | $1,012  |   2.21%    |
          |All States       |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |Median For The   |            |  2.55%  | $1,076  |    2.3%    |
          |10 Most Populous |            |         |         |            |
          |States           |            |         |         |            |
          |-----------------+------------+---------+---------+------------|
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |(a) Moody's,     |            |         |         |            |
          |Standard &       |            |         |         |            |
          |Poor's, and      |            |         |         |            |
          |Fitch Ratings as |            |         |         |            |
          |of September,    |            |         |         |            |
          |2015.            |            |         |         |            |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |(b) Figures as   |            |         |         |            |
          |reported by      |            |         |         |            |
          |Moody's in its   |            |         |         |            |
          |2015 State Debt  |            |         |         |            |
          |Medians Report   |            |         |         |            |
          |released June    |            |         |         |            |
          |2015. As of      |            |         |         |            |
          |calendar year    |            |         |         |            |
          |end 2013.        |            |         |         |            |
          |                 |            |         |         |            |
          |(c) State GDP    |            |         |         |            |
          |numbers have a   |            |         |         |            |
          |one-year lag.    |            |         |         |            |
           --------------------------------------------------------------- 

          Determining optimality or whether government is investing in the  
          quantity and quality of public capital desired by residents, and  
          financing the appropriate share with debt, is more difficult.   
          LAO recommends that the Legislature consider the Five-Year  
          Infrastructure Plan as a starting point to developing a  
          coordinated approach to infrastructure funding, and establish a  









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          committee to focus on statewide infrastructure.  

          3.   The good news  .  Investors ultimately determine the interest  
          rate paid on a bond when they buy one.  However, ratings issued  
          from the three major credit ratings agencies often inform  
          investors and the public regarding the state's creditworthiness,  
          and assess any investment risk from investing in California  
          general obligation bonds.  These ratings change over time in  
          response to a state's fiscal situation and economy, among other  
          factors.  In 2014, ratings agencies Standard and Poor's and  
          Moody's both raised their ratings on California bonds, and  
          ratings agency Fitch has increased the state's rating twice  
          between 2012 and 2014.  Agencies identified improving revenues  
          and fiscal discipline when making the upgrade.  Additionally,  
          California sold $2.95 billion in general obligation bonds in  
          March, about which the Treasurer cited "extremely high demand"  
          with "the lowest borrowing costs on 30-year bonds in the last  
          three decades."  The Treasurer added:

               "The spread between the state's new general obligation  
               bonds and a widely used municipal bond market benchmark was  
               the most favorable since 2005, and these low yields allowed  
               the state to refinance $1.96 billion in  
               higher-interest-paying bonds, saving California taxpayers  
               $398.5 million over the remaining life of the bonds.  Both  
               retail and institutional investors showed extremely strong  
               interest in the bond offerings. Retail investors placed  
               $1.3 billion in orders, the most retail orders in a single  
               offering since 2010. Overall demand was so positive that  
               the Treasurer's Office increased the amount of refunding  
               bonds by more than $500 million.  Yields on the bonds  
               ranged from 2.17% for 10-year maturities to 3.05% for the  
               longest maturity, in 2045."

          4.   The bad news  . California has a distinct problem: of the $135  
          billion that voters have authorized, almost $27 billion hasn't  
          been issued yet.  The state hasn't yet sold several billion in  
          transportation and resources bonds and almost $9 billion in high  
          speed rail bonds, plus $7.5 billion from the recently enacted  
          water bond.  While the state has made progress reducing the  
          amount of unaissued bonds in recent years, many bond-funded  
          projects have not yet received required approvals.  The  
          Treasurer generally sells about $1 billion in new money bonds  
          twice per year, so even if the Legislature enacts and the voters  









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          approve this measure, many of its purposes may have to wait  
          several years for funding as projects funded by previously  
          authorized bonds get up and running.

          5.   Related legislation  .  Last year, the Committee approved SB  
          317 (De León), which enacted the Safe Neighborhood Parks,  
          Rivers, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2016, which placed a  
          $2.45 billion bond on the November, 2016, ballot.  However, the  
          measure did not advance from the Senate Floor before the  
          Constitutional deadline.

          6.   Incoming  !  On Tuesday, June 28th, the Committee on Natural  
          Resources and Wildlife approved AB 2444.  This Committee is  
          hearing the measure as the Committee of second reference.  

          7.   Urgency  .  To enable a housing bond appearing on the  
          November, 2016, ballot, AB 2444 contains an urgency clause  
          providing that its provisions take effect immediately upon  
          enactment.  

           Assembly Actions

           Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife      11-1

          Assembly Appropriations                 14-2
          Assembly Floor                          56-18



           Support and  
          Opposition   (6/28/16)


           Support  :  Association of California Water Agencies; Audubon  
          California; Azul; Bay Area Open Space Council; Big Sur Land  
          Trust; Bolsa Chica Land Trust; Bronzan Consulting; Calcoast;  
          California Association of Local Conservation Corps; California  
          Association of Museum; California Association of Park &  
          Recreation Commissioners & Board Membersl California Association  
          of Recreation and Park Districts; California Council of Land  
          Trusts; California Center for Public Health Advocacy;   
          California Coastal Protection Network; California League of  
          Conservation Voters; California Native Plant Society; California  
          Park & Recreation Society;  California ReLeaf; California  









          AB 2444 (Eduardo Garcia) 6/23/16                                  
                                         PageP of?
          
          Special Districts Association; California State Parks  
          Foundation; California Tahoe Alliance; California Urban Streams  
          Partnership; California Wilderness Coalition; Carmichael  
          Recreation and Park District; City of American Canyon Parks and  
          Recreation Department; Children's Defense Fund; City of Chino;  
          Consumnes Community Services District Park & Recreation  
          Department; Defenders of Wildlife; Desert Recreation District;  
          Desert Valley Builders Association; City of Dublin, East Bay  
          Regional Park District; El Cerrito Recreation; El Dorado  
          Irrigation District; Fathers & Families of San Joaquin; City of  
          Fountain Valley; Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks;  
          Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District; Golden Gate  
          National Parks Conservancy; Greater Vallejo Recreation District;  
          The Greenlining Institute; Hesperia Recreation & Park District;  
          Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System; Hills for Everyone; City of  
          Imperial, John Muir Land Trust; City of Lafayette; Laguna  
          Greenbelt, Inc; Land Paths; Land Trust of Santa Cruz County;  
          Latino Outdoors; Livermore Area Recreation and Park District;  
          Mammoth Lakes California; Marin Agricultural Land Trust; Marin  
          County Parks; Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District; City of  
          Milpitas; Mono Lake Community; City of Montebello; City of  
          Morgan Hill, Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District;  
          The Nature Conservancy; Orangevale Recreation & Park District;  
          Pacific Forest Trust; Paradise Recreation & Park District;  
          Pathways for Wildlife., Peninsula Open Space Trust, Placer  
          County; Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District; Policy Link;  
          City of Portola; City of Poway, Rails to Trails Conservancy;  
          Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District; San Francisco Parks  
          Alliance; Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors; Santa Clara  
          Valley Open Space Authority; Save Mount Diablo; Save the  
          Redwoods League; City of Selma; Sierra Business Council; Sierra  
          Club California; Sierra Institute for Community and Environment;  
          Sierra Nevada Alliance; Sierra Water Workgroup; Solano Land  
          Trust; Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space  
          District; Sonoma County Regional Parks; Sonoma County Water  
          Agency; Sonoma Land Trust; State Park Partners Coalition; Tahoe  
          Mountain Sports ; City of Torrance; The Trust for Public Land;  
          TODEC Legal Center; TreePeople; City of Tustin Parks &  
          Recreation Department; United Ways of California; City of  
          Victorville; Watershed Conservation Authority; City of  
          Westminster.


           Opposition  :  Howard Jarvis TRa









          AB 2444 (Eduardo Garcia) 6/23/16                                  
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                                      -- END --