BILL NUMBER: AB 676	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Torres

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Section 163 of the Streets and Highways Code,
relating to transportation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 676, as introduced, Torres. Transportation funds.
   Existing law establishes a policy for expenditure of certain state
and federal funds available to the state for transportation
purposes. Under this policy, the Department of Transportation and the
California Transportation Commission develop a fund estimate of
available funds for purposes of adopting the state transportation
improvement program, which is a listing of capital improvement
projects. After deducting expenditures for administration, operation,
maintenance, local assistance, safety, rehabilitation, and certain
environmental enhancement and mitigation expenditures, the remaining
funds are available for capital improvement projects.
   This bill would provide that the remaining funds are available for
the study of, and development and implementation of, capital
improvement projects.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 163 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended
to read:
   163.  The Legislature, through the enactment of this section,
intends to establish a policy for the use of all transportation funds
that are available to the state, including the State Highway
Account, the Public Transportation Account, and federal funds. For
the purposes of this section, "federal funds" means any obligational
authority to be provided under annual federal transportation
appropriations acts. The department and the commission shall prepare
fund estimates pursuant to Sections 14524 and 14525 of the Government
Code based on the following:
   (a) Annual expenditures for the administration of the department
shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act, adjusted for
inflation.
   (b) Annual expenditures for the maintenance and operation of the
state highway system shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act,
adjusted for inflation and inventory, or, when a maintenance plan
has been enacted pursuant to Section 164.6, maintenance expenditures
shall be based on planned expenditures in that plan.
   (c) Annual expenditure for the rehabilitation of the state highway
system shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act, or, when a
long-range rehabilitation plan has been enacted pursuant to Section
164.6, shall be based on planned expenditures in that long-range
plan.
   (d) Annual expenditures for local assistance shall be the amount
required to fund local assistance programs required by state or
federal law or regulations, including, but not limited to, railroad
grade crossing maintenance, bicycle transportation account,
congestion mitigation and air quality, regional surface
transportation programs, local highway bridge replacement and
rehabilitation, local seismic retrofit, local hazard elimination and
safety, and local emergency relief.
   (e) After deducting expenditures for administration, operation,
maintenance, local assistance, safety, and rehabilitation pursuant to
subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and for expenditures pursuant
to Section 164.56, the remaining funds shall be available for 
the study of, and development and implementation of,  capital
improvement projects to be programmed in the state transportation
improvement program.