BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 615
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 4, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                  AB 615 (Lowenthal) - As Amended:  April 28, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:12-0 (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill aligns the authority of the High-Speed Rail Authority 
          (HSRA)-with respect to acquisition and disposition of property 
          and easements and other property-related activities associated 
          with development of the high-speed rail project-to the statutory 
          authority provided to Caltrans with respect to development of 
          the state highway system. 

          The bill is contingent on enactment of AB 145 (Galgiani), which 
          creates a Department of High-Speed Trains to implement the 
          high-speed rail program and recasts the HSRA as a policy-making 
          entity.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Given the scope and size of the high-speed rail project, 
          consolidating all relevant property-related functions and 
          authority with the HSRA should result in administrative 
          efficiencies and thus reduce overall project costs. 

          COMMENTS

           1)Purpose  . Following the passage of the High-Speed Rail Bond Act 
            in 2008, the HSRA is transitioning from a small study and 
            planning organization to a multi-billion dollar engineering 
            and construction entity. AB 615 provides the HSRA with certain 
            authority related to the acquisition and disposal of property, 
            rights-of way, and easements. Under current law, these 
            activities generally require the involvement and approval of 
            the Department of General Services, the State Public Works 
            Board, and/or the Department of Finance in order to take 








                                                                  AB 615
                                                                  Page  2

            certain property-related actions. Caltrans, the University of 
            California, the Department of Water Resources and other large 
            agencies that manage their own larger scale construction 
            projects are exempt from this body of law and follow other 
            procedures. This bill essentially provides the HSRA with 
            authority that parallels these other agencies.


           2)Prior Legislation  . SB 455 (Alan Lowenthal) of 2009, as passed 
            in the Senate had similar right-of-way provisions as AB 615, 
            but subsequent amendments in the Assembly removed these 
            provisions.


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