Amended in Senate April 5, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1141

Introduced by Senator Moorlach

February 18, 2016

An act to add Section 155.7 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to state highways.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1141, as amended, 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, begin delete are end delete begin insert may be end insert 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 begin insert county or end insert counties begin delete that will participate end delete begin insert participating end insert in the begin delete program. end delete begin insert program by January 1, 2018, from applications received, but would provide that participation of a county in the pilot program is voluntary. end insert 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. begin insert The bill would provide that its provisions shall become inoperative on January 15, 2018, if the commission is unable to select at least one county to participate in the pilot program because no county has submitted an application to the commission end insert begin insert . end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 155.7 is added to the Streets and
Highways Code, to read:

155.7.  

(a) The department shall participate in a pilot program
over a five-year period under which two counties, one in northern
California and one in southern California, begin delete shall end delete begin insert may end insert be selected
begin insert pursuant to subdivision (b) end insert to operate, maintain, and make
improvements to all state highways, including freeways, in the
affected county. The department, with respect to those counties,
shall, for the duration of the pilot program, 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. begin delete The pilot program shall commence no
later than January 1, 2018. end delete

(b) The commission shall administer and oversee the pilot
program and shall, from applications received, select the begin insert county
or end insert counties that will participate in the begin delete program. end delete begin insert program no later
than January 1, 2018. end insert The commission shall exercise the same
level of oversight over expenditure of state highway resources in
a participating county as it exercises over the department with
respect to state highways in nonparticipating counties. begin insert Participation
of a county in the pilot program is voluntary. end insert

begin insert

(c) If the commission is unable to select at least one county to
participate in the pilot program by January 1, 2018, because no
county has submitted an application to the commission, this section
shall become inoperative on January 15, 2018.

end insert begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert (d) end insert  For the duration of the pilot program, moneys shall be
appropriated as a block grant in the annual Budget Act to a
participating county in an amount equivalent to federal and state
funds otherwise to be expended by the department on the state
highways in the county, including, among other things, funding
for operations, maintenance, capital outlay support, the State
Highway Operation and Protection Program, and the State
Transportation Improvement Program. The commission, in
consultation with the department, shall determine the applicable
grant amounts for each participating county and shall submit its
recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.

begin delete

(d)

end delete

begin insert (e) end insert  Any cost savings realized by a participating county,
compared to comparable expenditures that otherwise would have
been undertaken by the department on state highways in the county
in the absence of the pilot program, may be used by the county for
other transportation priorities consistent with eligible expenditures
for the funding source involved, subject to approval by the
commission.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert (f) end insert  The participating counties shall report to the Legislature upon
the conclusion of the pilot program, in the manner provided in
Section 9795 of the Government Code.