BILL NUMBER: SB 2178	CHAPTERED  09/27/00

	CHAPTER   788
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 30, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 25, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 9, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   MAY 2, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 10, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senator McPherson
   (Principal coauthor:  Assembly Member Keeley)

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2000

   An act to add Section 14035.56 to, and to add and repeal Section
14035.57 of, the Government Code, relating to transportation, and
declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 2178, McPherson.  Transportation:  State Highway Route 17 bus
feeder service:  funding.
   Existing law prohibits the Department of Transportation from
providing funding to Amtrak for the purpose of entering into a
contract with a motor carrier of passengers for the intercity
transportation of passengers by motor carrier over regular routes
unless prescribed conditions are met, including a requirement that
service be provided only for passengers on trips where the passengers
have had prior movement by rail or will have subsequent movement by
rail, evidenced by a combination rail and bus one-way or roundtrip
ticket.
   This bill, until a specified date, would exempt from the specified
requirement service provided for disabled passengers who rely
substantially on the use of wheelchairs and travel by motor carrier
over any regular route that operates on a specified portion of Route
17.
   The bill would require the department to encourage certain
transportation entities to develop and execute a memorandum of
understanding that addresses long-term solutions to the
transportation needs of passengers traveling by bus on the specified
route .
   The bill would declare that it is take effect immediately as an
urgency statute.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 14035.56 is added to the Government Code, to
read:
   14035.56.  (a) Paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section
14035.55 does not apply to  service provided for disabled passengers
who rely substantially on the use of wheelchairs and travel by motor
carrier over any regular route that operates on the portion of State
Highway Route 17 that is between the City of Santa Cruz and the City
of San Jose.
   (b) This section shall remain in effect only until  one of the
following dates, whichever comes first, and as of that date is
repealed:
   (1) January 1, 2002.
   (2) The date that all motor carriers of passengers that operate
regular service on the route described in subdivision (a) operate
only vehicles on that route that are fully accessible to disabled
passengers who rely substantially on the use of wheelchairs.
   (3) The date that the memorandum of understanding described in
Section 14035.57 is executed by all parties listed in that section.
  SEC. 2.  Section 14035.57 is added to the Government Code, to read:

   14035.57.  The department  shall encourage the Santa Cruz
Metropolitan Transit District, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority, Amtrak,  and any private motor carrier of passengers that
operates regular service on the route described in subdivision (a) of
Section 14035.56 to develop and execute a memorandum of
understanding that addresses the long-term solutions to the
transportation needs of passengers traveling by bus between the City
of Santa Cruz and the City of San Jose on service operated
substantially on State Highway Route 17.  The memorandum shall
address the necessary funding and capital needs to provide this
public transit service, and other operational requirements for
additional public transit service on this route.  The memorandum
shall also address ways that Amtrak, local public transit operators,
and local private sector motor carriers of passengers may combine or
package their respective services and facilities to the public as a
means of improving services to the public.
  SEC. 3.  (a) Because of an immediate and specific set of operating
factors unique to the state-supported passenger rail feeder bus
service operated between the City of Santa Cruz and the City of San
Jose, and because these unique factors have created a temporary
hardship for some of the passengers utilizing this service, the
Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary to enact
legislation to address this hardship.
   (b) Due to the unique nature of the problem described in
subdivision (a), the Legislature further finds and declares that a
general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of
Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution.  Therefore,
the special legislation contained in this act is necessarily
applicable only to the bus service described herein.
  SEC. 4.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect.  The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to address, at the earliest possible time, the needs of
commuters utilizing state-supported passenger rail feeder bus service
between the City of Santa Cruz and the City of San Jose, it is
necessary that this act take effect immediately.