BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 791|
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                                    CONSENT


          Bill No:  SB 791
          Author:   Steinberg (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 5/3/11
          AYES:  DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Huff, Kehoe, Lowenthal, 
            Pavley, Rubio, Simitian


           SUBJECT  :    California Transportation Commission:  annual 
          report

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill deletes an obsolete requirement that 
          the California Transportation Commission include specified 
          information the Traffic Congestion Relief Program in its 
          annual report to the Legislature.

           ANALYSIS  :    

           Existing law :

          1. Creates the California Transportation Commission (CTC) 
             to provide a single venue for addressing transportation 
             development and funding issues in the state.  The CTC 
             consists of eleven voting members and two non-voting 
             ex-officio members of whom the Governor appoints nine, 
             the Senate Rules Committee appoints one, and the Speaker 
             of the Assembly appoints one.  The two ex-officio 
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             non-voting members come from the State Senate and 
             Assembly and are usually (and currently) the respective 
             chairs of the transportation policy committee in each 
             house.  Among its duties, the CTC programs and allocates 
             funds for the construction of highway, passenger rail, 
             and transit improvements throughout California. 

          2. Requires that each year by December 15 the CTC adopt and 
             submit its annual report to the Legislature.  This 
             report must include:

                 A summary of the CTC's prior year decisions in 
               allocating transportation capital outlay 
               appropriations;

                 An identification of timely and relevant 
               transportation issues facing the State of California. 

                 An explanation and summary of major policies and 
               decisions that the CTC adopted during the previous 
               state and federal fiscal years, with an explanation of 
               any changes in policy associated with the performance 
               of its duties and responsibilities over the past year. 


                 For the reports from 2001 through 2008, information 
               on loans and transfers made under two programs:  1) 
               the Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP), which 
               committed $6.4 billion to specific projects designated 
               in state law and 2) the cash-flow loan program, which 
               allows various transportation funds to be loaned to 
               provide adequate cash for transportation projects.  
               The annual report for those years was also required to 
               provide information on the cash flow and project 
               delivery implications of the these two programs as 
               well as guidance that CTC provided to the Department 
               of Transportation the cash-flow loan program.

          This bill deletes obsolete statutory language that required 
          the CTC to include in its annual report information on the 
          TCRP and cash-flow loan program as outlined in the last 
          bullet above.

           Comments

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          The author's office introduced this bill to clarify the 
          reporting requirements that the CTC must fulfill each year 
          in its report to the Legislature, a significant document in 
          the state's program of transportation planning and funding. 
           The author's office notes that this change in law, while 
          minor, will provide clarity to the CTC's reporting 
          requirements and help to focus the CTC statutory 
          responsibility to advise and assist the Legislature in 
          formulating and evaluating state policies and plans for 
          California's transportation programs.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No   
          Local:  No


          JJA:do  5/5/11   Senate Floor Analyses 

                       SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  NONE RECEIVED

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