BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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                              UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 6X
          Author:   Ducheny (D)
          Amended:  12/18/08
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE FLOOR  :  Not relevant

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  Not available


           SUBJECT  :    Budget Act of 2008

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    As it left the Senate, this bill expressed the  
          intent of the Legislature to enact the statutory changes to  
          the Budget Act of 2008.

           Assembly Amendments provide local governments with the  
          authority to generate additional revenue for transportation  
          purposes in order to address the fiscal emergency outlined  
          in the Governor's proclamation in the First Extraordinary  
          Special Session of December 1, 2008.  
           
           ANALYSIS  :    The existing state and local sales and use tax  
          rate of 7.25% is comprised of the following components:

          1.5% state sales tax dedicated to the General Fund.

          2..25% state sales tax dedicated to repayment of the  
            Economic Recovery Bonds.
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          3..5% state sales tax, dedicated to local governments to  
            fund health and welfare programs.

          4..5 % state sales tax, dedicated to local governments to  
            fund public safety services.

          5.1 % Bradley-Burns local sales tax (.75% dedicated to city  
            and county general operations and .25% dedicated to  
            county transportation purposes.

          Existing law also authorizes cities and counties to impose  
          transactions and use taxes, otherwise known as district  
          taxes, as specified.  The combined rate of all district  
          taxes imposed in any county cannot exceed 2%.  Existing law  
          requires cities and counties to contract with the Board of  
          Equalization (BOE) to administer the Bradley-Burns local  
          taxes and district taxes.

          This bill authorizes a county or a city and county to  
          impose an additional .25% local sales and use tax for  
          transportation purposes, pursuant to the Transportation  
          Development Act of 1971 (TDA), and subject to all  
          applicable constitutional voter-approval requirements.

          This bill is intended to provide local governments with the  
          authority to increase revenues for local transportation  
          purposes.  The value of the existing .25% sales and use tax  
          imposed pursuant to the TDA has declined significantly  
          since 1971, and state actions in recent years have further  
          reduced transportation funding available to local  
          governments.

          If all counties successfully elected to increase their  
          sales and use tax rate by .25%, it is estimated that this  
          bill would generate approximately $1.5 billion in local  
          revenues.  BOE would incur unknown one-time administrative  
          costs (General Fund).

          This bill is identical to AB 2873 (Wolk), which was  
          introduced in 2006, but was not enacted.

          This bill will not be enacted unless ABX1 2 is also  
          enacted.







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

          DLW:cm  12/18/08   Senate Floor Analyses 

                       SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  NONE RECEIVED

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