BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2679
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Date of Hearing: April 16, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 2679 (Committee on Transportation) - As Amended: March 27,
2012
SUBJECT : Transportation omnibus bill
SUMMARY : Makes various non-substantive, technical changes to
provisions related to transportation. Specifically, this bill :
1)Aligns the amount that the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) is authorized to pay for damage
claims with limits associated with small claims court.
2)Removes obsolete references to the regional transportation
planning agencies for Los Angeles and Imperial Counties.
3)Updates the Transportation Development Act (TDA) to replace
the term "handicapped" with the term "disabled."
4)Aligns the adjustment dates of the gasoline and diesel fuel
sales taxes with excise tax rates to reduce the time and costs
associated with adjusting the rates at two different times.
5)Allows the Board of Equalization (BOE) to notify fuel vendors
of a new prepayment rate by means other than United States
mail.
6)Makes clarifying references to the additional sales tax on
diesel fuel set to take effect on July 1, 2011.
7)Updates descriptions of various routes on the State Highway
System (SHS) to reflect relinquishments since 2009.
8)Deletes obsolete requirements for new car dealers regarding
sticker the requirement for rear seats belts in older model
cars.
9)Corrects erroneous citations regarding the Solano
Transportation Authority's (STA's) allotments to align it with
current practice.
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10)Permits riding a bicycle paved paths or walkways to access
bicycle parking racks near State Capitol.
11)Makes other related, clarifying changes.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Makes reference to the term "handicapped."
2)Makes references to the Regional Transportation Planning
Agencies for Los Angeles and Imperial Counties.
3)Provides for descriptions for various SHS routes.
4)Authorizes Caltrans to pay claims or damages, up to a maximum
of $5,000 without approval of the California Victim
Compensation and Government Board (CVCGC).
5)Provides that the STA may file a claim with the transportation
planning agency for up to 2% of local transportation funds.
6)Provides for adjustment dates of gasoline and diesel fuel
sales tax prepayment rates in accordance with the fuel tax
swap.
7)Requires the BOE to notify fuel vendors of new pre-payment
rates my mail.
8)Requires new car dealers to list on the sticker the
requirement for rear seat belts in older model cars
(1972-1990).
9)Provides for misdemeanor penalties for riding a bicycle on the
grounds of the State Capitol.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The Transportation Committee (Committee)
traditionally authors an annual omnibus bill, combining various
statutory modifications that are technical in nature, not
controversial, and have no opposition. This year's omnibus bill
contains measures include and are submitted by:
1)The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Staff to amend
the Government Code to permit riding a bicycle on designated
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State Capitol paved paths or walkways to access bicycle
parking racks near State Capitol entrances as long as the
bicycle is ridden in a manner that is reasonable and prudent.
2)The Assembly Transportation Committee to amends various
sections of the Public Utilities Code to replace the term
"handicapped" with the more modern term of "disabled."
3)The Assembly Transportation Committee to amend the Government
Code the Public Utilities Code to remove obsolete references
to the Regional Transportation Planning Agencies for Los
Angeles and Imperial Counties and the former Imperial Valley
Association of Governments is now the Imperial County
Transportation Commission and the former Los Angeles County
Transportation Commission is now the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
4)The Assembly Transportation Committee to amend Streets and
Highways Code to update descriptions of various routes to
reflect relinquishments on portions of SHS since 2009.
5)The Assembly Transportation Committee to amend the Government
Code to align the threshold for small claims court with those
of the CVCGC, to allow Caltrans to adjudicate minor matters in
small claims court and minimize administrative costs.
6)The STA to amend the Public Utilities Code to correct an
erroneously cited allotment for STA's in AB 1219 (Evans)
Chapter143, Statutes of 2009. The allotment was wrongly cited
as 2% when, in fact, STA's allotment has been 2.7% since 2004.
7)The BOE to amend the Revenue and Taxation Code to align the
adjustment dates of the gasoline and diesel fuel sales tax
prepayment rates with the excise tax rate adjustments for both
gasoline and diesel fuel as required by the fuel tax swap.
The dates would be changed so that, if and when there are
adjustments to the gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax rates,
they would also be accounted for in the sales tax prepayment
rate thereby reducing the time and costs associated with
adjusting the rates at two different times, for both the BOE
and the affected industry. Technical changes would also allow
the BOE to notify fuel vendors of a new prepayment rate by
means other than mail and would make a clarifying reference to
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the additional sales tax on diesel fuel set to take effect on
July 1, 2011.
8)The New Car Dealers Association to amend Vehicle Code Section
27314.5 to remove the obsolete requirement that new car
dealers to list on the sticker the requirement for rear seats
belts in older model cars (1972-1990).
Double-Referral : This bill is also referred to the Committee on
Revenue and Taxation.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Board of Equalization
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093