BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW
Mark Leno, Chair
Bill No: SB 822
Author: Evans
As Amended: March 24, 2011
Consultant: Brian Annis
Fiscal: Yes
Hearing Date: May 12, 2011
Subject: Infrastructure Plan.
Summary: This bill requires that the Governor annually
submit to the Treasurer a copy of the five-year
infrastructure plan.
Background: As part of the annual state budget proposal,
the Governor must submit a five-year infrastructure plan to
the Legislature. This annual, five-year plan must
identify:
Infrastructure projects requested by state
agencies.
Transportation projects identified in the State
Transportation Improvement Program.
K-12 school infrastructure needs.
Higher education facility needs.
The plan must estimate the costs of those infrastructure
projects. The plan must also identify the criteria and
priorities for funding infrastructure, funding sources, the
effect on the state government's debt position, and
recommend specific projects for funding and capital outlay
appropriations (AB 1473, Hertzberg, 1999). The criteria
for selecting state agencies' infrastructure projects must
be consistent with the state planning priorities adopted in
2002. The State Department of Finance issued the
California Five-Year Infrastructure Plan in 2002, 2003,
2006, 2007, and 2008. The Department intends to issue a
new five-year plan in January 2012.
Proposed Law: This bill requires that the annual five-year
infrastructure plan, which statute requires to be submitted
to the Legislature, also be submitted to the Treasurer.
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The five-year infrastructure report is publicly available
and posted on the Department of Finance website at the
following link:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/capital_outlay/reports/ . Since the
report is already publicly available, this would merely
provide a formal delivery to the Treasurer.
Support: None on file.
Opposed: None on file.
Comments: This bill, by itself, does not change any
statutory responsibility of the Treasurer related to state
infrastructure. By adding the Treasurer as a report
recipient, this bill would imply that both the Legislature
and the Treasurer are parties who would review and comment
on the Governor's infrastructure plan.
According to the author's office, it is appropriate that
the infrastructure report also be delivered to the
Treasurer since that office manages the sale of
voter-approved general obligation (GO) bonds and public
lease-revenue bonds to fund a variety of infrastructure
projects throughout the state. The author's office notes
that the Treasurer's office is currently sponsoring SB 907
(Evans), a companion bill that would create the Master Plan
for Infrastructure Financing and Development Commission to
provide the state with independent and comprehensive
information to assist policymakers in analyzing and
prioritizing California's infrastructure needs. The
Commission would include the Treasurer and be charged also
with assessing the viability of various financing
mechanisms to meet the state's infrastructure development
needs into the long-term future.
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