BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2095
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2095 (Campos)
As Amended August 20, 2012
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(April 23,2012) |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 22, |
| | | | | |2012) |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: ED .
SUMMARY : Provides, until January 1, 2014, an exception to
provisions of existing law that govern the placement of
destination signs on the state highway system.
The Senate amendments delete the entire contents of the bill and
replace them with provisions related to directional highway
signs. Specifically, these amendments authorize, until January
1, 2014, the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to place
and maintain destination signs to a culturally unique and
historically significant community if the county in which the
community exists requests the sign and the city within which the
community exists provides a letter indicating that the city is
not opposed to the placement of the signs; provides that any
sign placed in accordance with these provisions need not be
removed when the authority to place the sign is repealed on
January 1, 2014.
EXISTING LAW : Authorizes Caltrans to place and maintain signs
on state highways directing motorists to culturally unique
communities within a city or county if all the following
conditions are met:
1)The name of the community is culturally unique and
historically significant.
2)The name of the community has resulted from the influence of a
culture over a significant period of time.
3)The general public and media commonly recognize the name of
the community.
4)The community is located within a city, county, or city and
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county.
5)Signs are consistent with the signing requirements for the
state highway system.
6)The geographical boundary of the community is within three
miles of the state highway exit.
7)Trailblazing signs are installed on the appropriate streets or
roads prior to installation of signs on the state highway.
8)The city, county, or city and county provides funds from
non-state sources that cover all costs for Caltrans to place
and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained,
appropriate signs on state highways.
9)The governing body of the city, county, or city and county in
which the community is located adopts a resolution that does
the following:
a) Designates the name of the community that is to be used
on directional signs;
b) Defines the geographical boundaries of the community;
and,
c) Requests the department to post signs on state highways.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill dealt with entirely
unrelated issues involving the California Interscholastic
Federation.
FISCAL EFFECT : Costs to Caltrans would be reimbursed from
non-state sources, as required by this bill.
COMMENTS : Existing law provides an administrative process
whereby Caltrans will place highway signs directing motorists to
culturally unique districts, if certain conditions are met.
Chief among those conditions is a requirement that the
respective city or county requests the sign.
According to the author, the City of San Jose is home to the
largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam and the
Vietnamese business district (known as the Little Saigon
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Business District) is a hub of economic activity and cultural
wealth.
Caltrans has been working with proponents of the "Little Saigon"
signs in San Jose and is reportedly ready to proceed with
placing the signs except that the City of San Jose has failed to
pass a resolution requesting the signs. Without the City's
request, Caltrans has no authority to place the signs.
This bill would authorize a general exception to the existing
administrative process that would accommodate the situation in
San Jose wherein the County of Santa Clara has requested that
Caltrans place a "Little Saigon" sign and the City of San Jose
does not officially oppose the sign.
This bill has not been heard in its current form in any Assembly
policy committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0005335