BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 409|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 409
Author: Ducheny (D)
Amended: 1/26/10
Vote: 21
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SUBJECT : High-Speed Rail Authority
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill places the High-Speed Rail Authority
(HSRA) within the Business, Transportation and Housing
Agency (BT&H), requires the five members appointed to the
HSRA by the Governor be confirmed by the Senate, requires
the HSRA submit an annual funding plan to the California
Transportation Commission for approval, and requires BT&H
to prepare a five-year Strategic Rail Connectivity plan.
Senate Floor Amendments of 1/26/10 delete the prior content
of the bill, which created a Department of Railroads in the
BT&H, and instead add the current language.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Creates the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in
the BT&H. An undersecretary of the BT&H is required to
oversee Caltrans matters.
CONTINUED
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2. Creates within Caltrans a division of rail, which is
responsible for the development of a comprehensive rail
passenger system and the preparation of the rail
passenger development plan.
3. Requires capital expenditures for intercity rail
projects funded from the state's Public Transit Account
to be included in the State Transportation Improvement
Program, which is a five-year state transportation
capital outlay program, adopted every two-years by the
California Transportation Commission (CTC).
4. Authorizes that the state rail program be funded from
the Public Transit Account for state operations and from
the State Highway Account for the grade separation
program and the grade crossing program.
5. Authorizes $400 million for rail capital programs from
Proposition 1B, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction,
Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, and
$190 million for capital programs from 2008's
Proposition 1A, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger
Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.
6. Establishes the HSRA, which is governed by five members
appointed by the Governor, two members appointed by the
Senate Rules Committee, and two members appointed by the
Speaker of the Assembly.
This bill:
1. Incorporates the HSRA into BT&H.
2. Requires Senate confirmation of the Governor's five
appointees to the HSRA.
3. Requires the HSRA to submit an annual funding plan to
the CTC for approval. The plan shall include
investments to be made during the upcoming fiscal year
and the amount of bond sales necessary to finance the
investments.
4. Makes BT&H responsible for the preparation of a
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Strategic Rail Connectivity plan. The purpose of the
Strategic Rail Connectivity plan is to identify
opportunities for passenger rail system improvements
that ensure there are linkages between the proposed
high-speed rail system and the conventional intercity
and commuter rail services in the state. The strategic
plan shall be submitted to the CTC for approval on
September 1, 2011, and every five years thereafter. When
allocating passenger rail funds, the CTC shall insure
that the projects are consistent with the adopted
Strategic Rail Connectivity plan.
Background
In 1996, the California High-Speed Rail Authority was
created with responsibility for planning, constructing, and
operating a high-speed train system serving California's
major metropolitan areas. With passage of Proposition 1A,
the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for
the 21st Century, the HSRA is responsible for developing
high-speed rail service between Anaheim-Los
Angeles-Bakersfield-San Jose-San Francisco. This service is
to be developed as a public-private partnership, with
private, state, and federal funding. Proposition 1A
specified that the service cannot rely upon state, federal,
or local operating subsidies.
Related Legislation
SB 455 (Lowenthal) requires the Governor's appointees to
the HSRA to be subject to Senate confirmation, establishes
criteria for selecting high-speed rail projects, and
provides the HSRA with eminent domain authority similar to
the authority assigned to Caltrans and the Department of
Water Resources.
AB 1375 (Galgiani) creates a Department of High-Speed Rail
to manage and implement the high-speed rail program
described in Proposition 1A and other statutes. The
management of this department is overseen by the governing
board of the HSRA.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
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Unknown.
JJA:mw 1/27/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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