BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 266
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 29, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                    AB 266 (Carter) - As Amended:  April 20, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                               
          TransportationVote:11-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  


          This bill requires the California Transportation Commission  
          (CTC), by March 1, 2011 and every five years thereafter, to  
          report to the Legislature on its assessment of the unfunded  
          costs of programmed state transportation projects and federally  
          earmarked projects in the state, available funding for  
          transportation purposes, and unmet statewide transportation  
          needs, including the needs of public transportation and local  
          street and road systems, and recommendations to address funding  
          shortfalls and unmet needs.  Caltrans is to assist in the study  
          and local government organizations and regional transportation  
          planning agencies are to be consulted.


           FISCAL EFFECT  


          Recurring special fund costs of about $250,000 every five years  
          to the CTC for the needs assessment.  [State Highway Account]


           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  The author believes that state transportation system  
            needs should be periodically assessed to better inform the  
            Legislature on how best to bring available resources to bear  
            to meet some or all of these needs.  This bill is consistent  
            with a recommendation of the Legislative Analyst's Office,  
            which indicates that "there is currently no requirement that  
            Caltrans or any other state entity assess and report on the  








                                                                  AB 266
                                                                  Page  2

            state's overall transportation needs on a regular basis."  The  
            CTC conducted an assessment in 1999, at the request of SR 8  
            (Burton), which identified a 10-year funding need in excess of  
            $100 billion-a level updated in 2005 to $160 billion.

           2)Prior Legislation  .  This bill is nearly identical to AB 945 of  
            2007, which was vetoed.  The governor argued that  
            "Californians do not need another report to tell them that the  
            state's transportation needs are great."

            SB 275 (Torlakson) of 2005, which would have required the CTC  
            to prepare a 10-year needs assessment, was vetoed for a  
            similar reason.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081