BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 733
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 29, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                AB 733 (Galgiani) - As Introduced:  February 26, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                               
          TransportationVote:13-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  


          This bill authorizes the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), when  
          awarding contracts or purchasing trains and related equipment,  
          to consider, to the extent permitted by federal law and all  
          other applicable provisions of state law, the creation of jobs  
          in California.


           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Probably no direct fiscal effect, as the bill neither requires  
          nor allows the authority to award contracts to other than the  
          lowest bidder, or in the case of negotiated contracts, to the  
          most qualified firm.

           COMMENTS  


          The High-Speed Rail Bond Act, approved by the voters in November  
          2008, provides $9.95 billion in general obligation bond  
          authority to fund the planning and construction of a high-speed  
          passenger train system and complementary improvements to other  
          specified rail systems in the state.  According to the author,  
          this bill "seeks to maximize the number of California-based jobs  
          that will be created by contracts for the construction of the  
          High-Speed Train (HST) project and the purchase of materials  
          related to it as a means to improve and strengthen the  
          California economy and job base.










                                                                  AB 733
                                                                  Page  2

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