BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 968|
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          |1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 968
          Author:   Torlakson (D)
          Amended:  5/5/05
          Vote:     21

           
           SEN. TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE  :  11-0, 4/19/05
          AYES:  Torlakson, McClintock, Cedillo, Ducheny, Kehoe,  
            Lowenthal, Machado, Maldonado, Margett, Simitian, Soto
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Ashburn, Murray, Runner

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8


           SUBJECT  :    Land use planning:  general plans

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill renames the circulation element of the  
          general plan as the transportation element.

           Senate Floor Amendments  of 5/5/05 delete the provisions of  
          the bill which required cities and counties to identify  
          sufficient land for housing to accommodate each  
          jurisdiction's housing needs through the end of the general  
          plan.  The amendments, instead, add language to rename the  
          circulation element of the general plan as the  
          transportation element.

           ANALYSIS  :    The Planning and Zoning Law requires cities  
          and counties to prepare and adopt a general plan to guide  
          the future growth of a community.  Every general plan must  
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          contain seven elements:  land use, circulation, housing,  
          conservation, open-space, noise, and safety.  

          A land use element shall designate the proposed general  
          distribution and location of the uses of land for housing,  
          business, industry, open space, education, and public  
          facilities.  The land use element shall also include the  
          standards of population density and building intensity  
          recommended for the various districts covered by the plan.

          The circulation element must show the general location of  
          major roads, transportation routes, terminals, military  
          airports and port, and local public utilities and  
          facilities.  State law requires local officials to  
          correlate these features with the land use element.  Some  
          planners say that the circulation element is poorly named.

          This bill renames the circulation element of the general  
          plan as the "transportation element".

           Comments

           The new provisions of this bill are nearly identical to SB  
          927 (Lowenthal), which the Senate passed 36-0 on 4/28/05,  
          as follows:

           SENATE FLOOR :  4/28/05, 36-0
          AYES:  Aanestad, Ackerman, Alarcon, Alquist, Ashburn,  
            Battin, Bowen, Campbell, Cedillo, Chesbro, Cox, Denham,  
            Ducheny, Dunn, Dutton, Figueroa, Hollingsworth, Kehoe,  
            Kuehl, Lowenthal, Machado, Maldonado, Margett,  
            McC.intock, Migden, Morrow, Murray, Perata, Poochigian,  
            Romero, Runner, Scott, Simitian, Soto, Torlakson, Vincent
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Escutia, Florez, Ortiz, Speier

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/6/05)

          California Building Industry Association 
          Homeownership Advancement Foundation 
          League of California Cities 








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          JJA:do  5/16/05   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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