BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 290
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 6, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                 SB 290 (Correa) - As Introduced:  February 14, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:13-0 (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill extends, from November 1, 2013 to November 1, 2017, 
          the date by which Orange County may establish a neighborhood 
          electric vehicle (NEV) transportation plan for the Ranch Plan 
          Planned Community, and extends reporting deadlines accordingly.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor costs, if any, for Caltrans, to review and approve any 
            component of the proposed NEV transportation plan for Ranch 
            Plan, adopted within the extended timeframe, that allows use 
            of any state highway or any crossing of the highway.  (State 
            Highway Account)

          2)Minor costs, if any, for the CHP to review and comment on the 
            proposed NEV plan to determine any impacts on traffic law 
            enforcement.  (Motor Vehicle Account)
           
          COMMENTS  

           1)Background and Purpose  . Existing law defines a low-speed 
            vehicle as a motor vehicle that is four- wheeled, can attain a 
            speed in one mile of more than 20 mph on a paved, level 
            surface, and has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 
            3,000 pounds.  Low-speed vehicles are also known as NEVs.  
            Current law prohibits NEVs from being operated on any roadway 
            with a speed limit in excess of 35 mph, unless a designated 
            area has been granted a statutory exemption (see below). To 
            date, no jurisdictions have reported serious problems as a 
            result of having implemented an NEV Plan. SB 956 
            (Correa)/Chapter 442 of 2007, authorized development of an NEV 








                                                                  SB 290
                                                                  Page  2

            transportation plan for Ranch Plan Planned Community in Orange 
            County. Due to the decline in the real estate market, however, 
            the project was delayed, thus the sponsor (Rancho Mission 
            Viejo) is seeking an extension of this authorization.

           2)Related Legislation  . AB 61 (Jeffries), pending in the Senate, 
            authorizes Riverside County or any city in the county to 
            establish a NEV plan. 

           3)Prior Legislation  . The following legislation authorized NEV 
            transportation plans:

             a)   AB 1781 (Villines)/Chapter 452 of 2010, for the City of 
               Fresno (City).  

             b)   AB 584 (Huber)/Chapter 437 of 2010, for the County of 
               Amador and the cities of Jackson, Sutter Creek and Amador 
               City.  

             c)   AB 2963 (Gaines)/Chapter 199 of 2008, extended a pilot 
               project for NEV plans in the cities of Lincoln and Rocklin. 


             d)   AB 2353 (Leslie)/Chapter 422 of 2004, for the cities of 
               Lincoln and Rocklin.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081