BILL ANALYSIS
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 854
Author: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
Amended: 10/7/10
Vote: 27 - Urgency
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not available
SUBJECT : Transportation Budget Trailer Bill
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : Assembly Amendments delete the Senate version of
the bill expressing the intent of the Legislature to enact
statutory changes relating to the Budget Act of 2010, and
add the current content relating to transportation.
This bill is now the Transportation Budget Trailer Bill
which contains provisions necessary to implement the
2010-11 Budget.
ANALYSIS : This bill includes the following key changes
to implement the 2010-11 State Budget:
1. Proposition 1B - Transportation Corridor Improvement
Funds . Requires the California Transportation
Commission (CTC) to report to the Legislature
semiannually on the expenditure of Transportation
Corridor Improvement Funds (TCIF) for railroad projects.
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Additionally, requires the CTC to report and provide a
copy of any memorandum of understanding executed between
a railroad company and any state or local transportation
agency where TCIF funds are a funding source for the
project.
2. Proposition 1B - Water Transit . For recipients of
Proposition 1B bond funds for regional public waterborne
transit, extends the expenditure period from three years
to four years. Proposition 1B provides $250 million to
Regional public waterborne transit agencies. The funds
are available to build ferry terminals, among other
uses.
3. Proposition 1B - Local Streets and Roads . Provides
cities and counties a one-year extension to expend
Proposition 1B Local Streets and Roads funds for any
year in which Highway Users Tax Account funds for local
transportation projects are borrowed, deferred, or
shifted.
4. Inter-fund Transportation Cashflow Loans . Extends the
sunset from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2014, for cashflow
borrowing among transportation special funds. The
transportation special funds that are eligible for
cashflow borrowing are the State Highway Account, the
Public Transportation Account, the Transportation
Investment Fund, the Transportation Deferred Investment
Fund, and the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund.
5. High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) - Exempt Positions .
Authorizes the Governor to appoint six management level
exempt positions to the HSRA upon the recommendation of
the executive director. Compensation for these
positions shall not exceed the highest comparable
compensation for a position of that type, as established
through a salary survey, and shall require approval of
the Department of Personnel Administration.
6. HSRA - Biannual Reporting . Requires the HSRA to report
biannually to the Legislature, beginning March 1, 2011,
on the status of development and implementation of
intercity high-speed rail service.
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7. HSRA - Peer Review Group . Requires that the members of
the High Speed Rail Independent Peer Review Group be
designated by October 1, 2010, and requires that group
to designate a chairperson. Additionally, requires the
HSRA to designate a liaison for the Independent Peer
Review Group. Lastly, authorizes the members of the
peer review group to collect a $100 per-day per diem
that cannot exceed $500 per month.
8. Department of Transportation (Caltrans) - Capital Outlay
Support Budget Request . Requires Caltrans to report
annually to the Legislature with supplemental
information on the Capital Outlay Support budget
request, including anticipated and realized project
costs and schedules for the Capital Outlay Support
Program.
9. Advertising on Changeable Message Signs . Authorizes an
experimental program that would allow advertising on
upgraded changeable message signs on highway right of
way. A federal waiver, or a change in federal law, is
necessary to implement this program and this bill states
the program cannot be implemented unless approved by the
federal government.
10. Fuel Tax Swap - GO Bond Savings . The State Treasurer
and the Department of Finance estimate lower bond debt
service costs from transportation-related general
obligation bonds in 2010-11. This savings is estimated
to reduce bond-related expenditures from fuel tax swap
revenues by about $112 million. This bill directs that
savings to additional loans to the General Fund.
11. Fuel Tax Swap - Local Transportation Subventions .
Provides additional clarification that local governments
are not subject to the same maintenance-of-effort and
other requirements under Proposition 42 when they are
apportioned fuel excise tax revenues.
12. CHP - License Plate Reader Technology . Places in
statute the California Highway Patrol (CHP) internal
policy for retaining information gathered from license
plate reader (LPR) systems. Prohibits the retention of
data for more than 72 hours for all instances when the
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data is not being used for legitimate law enforcement
purposes. Additionally, prohibits the CHP from selling
LPR data and requires that CHP monitor its use
internally.
13. CHP and Local Law Enforcement: DUI Checkpoints and
Vehicle Impoundment . Amends statute to revise and
better define the conditions under which a law
enforcement entity can impound a vehicle at a sobriety
checkpoint. In the case of a driver who is not
suspected of drunk driving, but who is driving without a
valid driver's license, the vehicle cannot be impounded
unless the vehicle cannot be safely parked or no
licensed driver can be found to drive the vehicle.
14. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - Veterans' Benefits .
Requires DMV to update application forms to provide a
space for an applicant to indicate whether they served
in the armed forces. Data collected from willing
veterans will be shared with the Department of Veterans
affairs in order to identify if they are eligible for
federal benefits.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
JJA:mw 10/7/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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