BILL ANALYSIS
AB 268
Page 1
( Without Reference to File )
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 268 (Budget Committee)
As Amended September 15, 2008
2/3 vote. Urgency
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(June 5, 2008) |SENATE: |29-10|(September 16, |
| | | | | |2008) |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: PUB. S
SUMMARY : Provides statutory changes for transportation to
implement the Budget Act of 2008.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of the bill
and instead:
1)Allocate sales tax "spillover" revenue for 2008-09. Of the
estimated revenue of $1.4 billion, $939 million is allocated
to the Mass Transportation Fund to provide General Fund (GF)
relief by reimbursing past year and budget year general
obligation bond debt for transportation-related bonds ($857
million), and by reimbursing the GF for the 2008-09
Proposition 42 loan repayment ($83 million). The spillover
revenue in excess of $939 million, which is estimated at $488
million, is transferred to the Public Transportation Account.
The revenues in the Public Transportation Account are
appropriated in the budget bill and support traditional
transit operations and capital, as well as additional GF
relief.
2)Implement the Public Transportation Modernization,
Improvement, and Service Enhancement Account for 2008-09 by
using the same allocation formula that was used with the
funding provided in the 2007 Budget Act. Implements the
State-Local Partnership Program by establishing criteria for
eligibility and allocation.
3)Increase vehicle registration fees by $11 to fund the
increased cost and number of California Highway Patrol
Officers. The Administration requested this fee increase to
AB 268
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maintain the solvency of the Motor Vehicle Account. The
full-year revenue gain from the fee increase will be
approximately $490 million.
4)Extend the sunset until 2011 for short-term cash-flow loans
among transportation funds. Authorizes a three-year loan from
the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund to the Public
Transportation Account not to exceed $60 million. Extends the
sunset until 2011 for short-term cash-flow loans from the GF
to the State Highway Account, and also places a new ceiling of
$200 million on such loans.
5)Authorize a shift in the federal funds available for
allocation to regional transportation agencies to the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to cover
the State's increased cost of oversight for these local
subventions. In concert with the budget bill, this language
allows Caltrans to meet more stringent Federal Highway
Administration requirements by shifting $2.2 million in
federal funds to the State to cover the cost of 30 new state
positions.
6)Authorize Caltrans to participate in the federal Clean
Renewable Energy Bonds Program, which will provide a $20
million interest-fee loan to Caltrans to fund the installation
of solar energy systems on the rooftops at 70 departmental
facilities. Over a 16-year period, energy savings are
expected to fully repay the bonds and result in a net savings
of $5 million to the State Highway Account.
7)Make technical changes to the statute that provides budget
allocations to transit operators. The State Controller's
Office has indicated that these technical changes are
necessary to allow them to complete the 2007-08 allocations as
budgeted in the 2007 Budget Act.
8)Declare this bill take effect immediately as an urgency
statute.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill expanded the definition of
"unavailability" to an instance where a declarant refuses
testify, notwithstanding imposition of sanctions, and the
statement is offered against a party who has engaged or
acquiesced in wrongdoing that was intended to, and did, procure
the unavailability of the declarant.
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FISCAL EFFECT : Enables General Fund relief of over $940 million.
(In total, the Budget includes $1.354 billion in GF relief from
transportation.)
COMMENTS : This is the annual Budget trailer bill for
transportation.
Analysis Prepared by : Christopher Woods / BUDGET / (916)
319-2099
FN: 0007806