SB 1141, as introduced, Moorlach. State highways: transfer to local agencies: pilot program.
Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of all state highways and associated property, and sets forth the powers and duties with respect to operation, maintenance, and improvement of state highways. Existing law authorizes the California Transportation Commission to exercise various powers and duties on transportation matters, including the allocation of certain transportation capital improvement funds available to the state.
This bill would require the department to participate in a pilot program over a 5-year period under which 2 counties, one in northern California and one in southern California, are selected to operate, maintain, and make improvements to all state highways, including freeways, in the affected county. The bill would require the department, with respect to those counties, for the duration of the pilot program, to convey all of its authority and responsibility over state highways in the county to the county or to a regional transportation agency that has jurisdiction in the county. The bill would require the commission to administer and oversee the pilot program and to select the counties that will participate in the program. The bill would require certain moneys to be appropriated for these purposes as a block grant in the annual Budget Act to a participating county, as specified. The bill would authorize any cost savings realized by a participating county to be used by the county for other transportation priorities. The bill would require the participating counties to report to the Legislature upon the conclusion of the pilot program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 155.7 is added to the Streets and
2Highways Code, to read:
(a) The department shall participate in a pilot program
4over a five-year period under which two counties, one in northern
5California and one in southern California, shall be selected to
6operate, maintain, and make improvements to all state highways,
7including freeways, in the affected county. The department, with
8respect to those counties, shall, for the duration of the pilot
9program, convey all of its authority and responsibility over state
10highways in the county to the county or to a regional transportation
11agency that has jurisdiction in the county. The pilot program shall
12commence no later than January 1, 2018.
13(b) The commission shall administer and oversee the pilot
14program and shall, from applications received, select the counties
15that
will participate in the program. The commission shall exercise
16the same level of oversight over expenditure of state highway
17resources in a participating county as it exercises over the
18department with respect to state highways in nonparticipating
19counties.
20(c) For the duration of the pilot program, moneys shall be
21appropriated as a block grant in the annual Budget Act to a
22participating county in an amount equivalent to federal and state
23funds otherwise to be expended by the department on the state
24highways in the county, including, among other things, funding
25for operations, maintenance, capital outlay support, the State
26Highway Operation and Protection Program, and the State
27Transportation Improvement Program. The commission, in
28consultation with the department, shall determine the applicable
29grant amounts for each participating county and shall submit its
30recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
P3 1(d) Any cost savings realized by a participating county,
2compared to comparable expenditures that otherwise would have
3been undertaken by the department on state highways in the county
4in the absence of the pilot program, may be used by the county for
5other transportation priorities consistent with eligible expenditures
6for the funding source involved, subject to approval by the
7commission.
8(e) The participating counties shall report to the Legislature
9upon the conclusion of the pilot program, in the manner provided
10in Section 9795 of the Government Code.
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