BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 650 (Blumenfield)
Hearing Date: 08/15/2011 Amended: 08/15/2011
Consultant: Mark McKenzie Policy Vote: T&H 6-3
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 650 would establish a 12-member Blue Ribbon
Task Force on Public Transportation for the 21st Century (Task
Force) and appropriate $750,000 from the Public Transportation
Account (PTA) to the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
fund the activities of the Task Force.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Fund
PTA appropriation $750 Special*
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* Public Transportation Account
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Existing law establishes the Public Transportation Account,
which is funded by the sales and use tax on diesel fuel, and
specifies that funds in the PTA are available, upon
appropriation, for transportation planning and mass
transportation purposes. A portion of PTA funds appropriated by
the Legislature are available to Caltrans for planning
activities, mass transportation responsibilities, and assistance
in regional transportation planning.
This bill would appropriate $750,000 from the PTA to Caltrans
for purposes of funding the activities of the Task Force,
administrative staffing by Caltrans, and contracts with
consultants for research, analysis, and report writing.
Specifically, this bill would:
Require the Senate Rules Committee to appoint six specified
Task Force members, and the Assembly Speaker to appoint the
other six members by January 31, 2012.
Require the Task Force to develop a scope of work within 45
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days of formation that includes research objectives, a
timeline of specific tasks, identification of consultants, and
development of a budget for use of appropriated funds.
Require the Task Force to meet at least twice a month, hold at
least nine public listening sessions at specified locations,
and consult with specified state agencies to collect input and
information on public transportation issues and needs.
Require the Task Force to contract with consultants for expert
research, analysis, report drafting, and any other purposes it
deems necessary.
Require the Task Force to provide a written report to the
Governor and Legislature by September 30, 2012 that identifies
and makes recommendations on: 1) the current state of the
transit system; 2) transit needs to achieve specified goals;
3) estimated five-year, 15-year, and 25-year costs to create
the system; 4) potential funding sources; and 5) requirements
and methods for attaining the funding.
AB 650 is intended to convene an independent task force that
highlights the state's public transportation needs, engages the
public in conversation about transit, and makes recommendations
on how to fund the current and future transit system needs. The
Task Force would build upon data, reports, and system plans
already compiled by other agencies and organizations, but focus
entirely on public transit. Proponents note that the bill would
not impact the portion of the PTA that is dedicated to transit
operations through the State Transit Assistance Program.
Rather, the appropriation would come from the portion of the PTA
that funds intercity rail, capital projects in the State
Transportation Improvement Program, and Caltrans expenses
related to mass transportation.
Staff notes that the PTA is projected to have a fund balance of
over $270 million at the end of the 2011-12 fiscal year. While
the appropriation specified in the bill would occur in the
2011-12 fiscal year, staff estimates that approximately $250,000
in expenditures related to preparation of final report, such as
compilation of research, preparation of findings, and drafting
of the report, would occur in 2012-13.
The bill requires the Task Force, for purposes of collecting
information for the written report, to consult with the
California Transportation Commission, the Department of Housing
and Community Development, the Business, Transportation and
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Housing Agency, the State Air Resources Board, the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the State
Department of Health Care Services. Staff estimates that
consultation costs to these agencies would be minor and
absorbable.
In addition to the work of the Task Force and any consulting
contracts, the appropriation in the bill would cover all
Caltrans' costs to provide administrative staffing.
To the extent that the written report identifies deficient
funding to meet the state's projected transit needs, and
recommends significant future state funding to meet those needs,
this bill would create cost pressures to shift more funding to
transit.