BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1779
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Date of Hearing: May 9, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1779 (Galgiani) - As Amended: April 19, 2012
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:11-0
Local Government 7-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill provides for the establishment of a joint powers
agency (JPA) to administer intercity rail service in the San
Joaquin Valley. Specifically, this bill:
1)Provides that the Secretary of Business, Transportation, and
Housing, upon a determination that transferring responsibility
for intercity rail service to a JPA would yield cost
reductions, should authorize Caltrans to enter into an
interagency transfer agreement.
2)States legislative intent that state funding, for an intercity
rail corridor for which administrative responsibility has been
transferred to a JPA, should be maintained at least at the
current funding level for at least five years.
3)Establishes the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Board of up
to 11 members, and defines the "San Joaquin Corridor" as
covering the Los
Angeles-Bakersfield-Fresno-Stockton-Sacramento-San Francisco
Bay Area intercity passenger rail corridor.
4)Requires that the interagency agreement between Caltrans and
the San Joaquin JPA be executed by December 31, 2013.
5)Prohibits, with respect to the San Joaquin Corridor, use of
local resources to offset any reduction or redirection of
state resources for intercity rail operations.
FISCAL EFFECT
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1)One-time special fund cost to Caltrans in the range of
$150,000 to implement a transfer agreement with the JPA,
including supporting the transition of Caltrans' equipment and
facilities. Following implementation of the JPA, Caltrans
would realize ongoing administrative savings of about
$300,000.
2)Fulfilling legislative intent to maintain current funding
state levels to the SJC for at least five years could create
cost pressure if overall state funding for intercity rail were
to be reduced during this time.
COMMENTS
1)Background . Intercity passenger rail service is a component of
the state's overall transportation system and operates between
several regions of the state. Intercity services include three
state-supported corridor routes and four Amtrak long-distance
routes. The three in-state intercity routes were funded,
planned and administered by Caltrans until July 1998, when the
Capitol Corridor JPA assumed administration of the
Auburn-Sacramento-Oakland-San Jose corridor. (The CCJPA was
established through SB 457 (Kelley)/Chapter 263 of 1996.) The
other two intercity rail passenger services, the Pacific
Surfliner and the San Joaquin continue to be administered by
Caltrans.
2)Purpose . This bill authorizes creation of a regionally-based
JPA to assume administrative responsibility from Caltrans for
the San Joaquin Corridor via an interagency transfer
agreement. The JPA would be initially composed of not more
than 11 members (representing public agencies in Sacramento,
San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings,
Tulare, Kern, Contra Costa and Alameda Counties).
The author contends that the CCJPA has successfully managed
the Capitol Corridor. "In addition to more cost effective
administration and operations, the CCJPA has shown that there
are several other potential benefits to local authority
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administration of intercity passenger service including: the
ability to have a stronger voice in advocating for service
improvements and expansions; local decision-making that is
more responsive and adaptive to passenger issues; the ability
to take better advantage of joint marketing and partnerships
with local agencies; and more engagement by local communities
to support the service."
3)Related Legislation . SB 1225 (Padilla), pending in Senate
Appropriations, similarly authorizes Caltrans to transfer
administration of the Pacific Surfliner corridor (San
Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo) to a JPA.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081