February 2, 2016
Bills
SB 824
(Beall D)
Low Carbon
Transit
Operations
Program
Subject
Status
This bill would amend the Low Carbon Transit
SENATE T. & H.
Operations Program (LCTOP) to essentially allow
an operator to bank or loan its share of these
funds. Specifically, SB 824 would allow a
recipient that does not submit a project for
funding to do the following:




Client - Position
Recommended
Position: Support
Accumulate and utilize its funding share
at a later date.
Loan or transfer its funding share to
another operator.
Pool its funding share with other
operators for an identified project.
Reassign any savings allocated to an
operators for one project to another
eligible project
SB 824 would also expand the audits conducted
under the Transportation Development Act to
include verification of recipient of LCTOP funds
and the appropriate expenditure of the LCTOP
funds. In addition, SB 824 would allow an
operator to apply to Caltrans for a “letter of no
prejudice” that would allow an operator to
proceed with an eligible project using its own
funds and then use LCTOP funds to reimburse
the operator.
Bills
AB 61
(Allen, Travis R)
Shuttle services:
loading and
unloading of
passengers.
Subject
Status
Client - Position
AB 61 was never heard by the Assembly
DEAD
Transportation Committee, and is now a twoyear bill. However, we have received notice that
the author intends to move this bill in January.
This bill would allow a local government to
permit private shuttle bus services to use public
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transit stops if an agreement is reached between
the public transit operator and the private
shuttle operator.
AB 464
Existing law caps the cumulative total amount of VETOED
(Mullin D)
locally imposed sales taxes at 2%. However,
Transactions and many counties are currently at that limit. AB 464
use taxes:
would amend existing to adjust the cap up to 3%.
maximum
combined rate Governor Brown vetoed this measure. While his
veto message stated he supported increases for
specific counties (i.e. Alameda County & Contra
Costa), he was reluctant to increase for all given
the number of taxes being discussed for the
2016 ballot.
AB 1231
(Wood D)
Medi-Cal:
nonmedical
transportation
SUPPORT
AB 1231 was vetoed by Governor Brown. This VETOED
bill along with other bills expanding Medi-Cal
benefits were vetoed because they “require new
spending at a time when there is considerable
uncertainty in the funding of this program. The
Governor stated, “Until the fiscal outlook for
Medi-Cal is stabilized, I cannot support any of
these measures.”
This bill would have added nonmedical
transportation, as defined, to the schedule of
benefits in the Medi-Cal program administrated
by the Department of Health Care Services
(DHCS) for beneficiaries who receive services.
AB 1231 defines nonmedical transportation to
include services by car, taxi, or any other form of
public or private conveyance.
AB 1250
AB 1250 is sponsored by the CTA. The bill was Signed Into Law
(Bloom D)
recently amended to include a potential solution Chapter 484,
Vehicles: buses: to the bus axle weight issue. In general, the
Statutes of 2015
gross axle weight amendments would phase in a curb weight per
axle weight of 22,000 pounds for transit vehicles.


SUPPORT
Establish a two-step process whereby
procurements issued after January 1,
2016 must be for vehicles with a curb
weight per axle, beginning at 23,000
pounds per axle, and for solicitations
issued after January 1, 2019 must have a
per axle curb weight of 22,000 pounds.
Establishes a declining curb weight per
2
axle for an articulated transit bus or a
zero-emission transit bus, beginning at
25,000 pounds per axle, for buses
procured through a solicitation issued
between January 1, 2016, and December
31, 2017, and ending at ending at 22,000
pounds for buses procured through a
solicitation issued on or after January 1,
2022.
 Require a transit operator operating an
articulated transit bus to, by July 1, 2016,
and annually thereafter, provide cities
and counties a notice providing a
description of the approximate routes
where the articulated transit bus is
scheduled to provide service.
 Define "curb weight," for purposes of this
bill, as the total weight of a fully loaded
transit bus, including maximum fuel, oil,
and coolant, and all equipment used in
the normal operation of the bus, not
including passengers or a driver.
ACA 4
ACA 4 would amend the Constitution to lower ASSEMBLY APPR –
(Frazier D)
approval threshold to impose a special sales tax Suspense File
Local
that provides funding for local transportation
government
project to 55%. Local transportation projects are
transportation defined to include the funding needs for local
projects: special streets and roads, state highways and freeways,
taxes: voter
and public transit systems. ACA 4 does not lower
approval.
the voter threshold for parcel taxes.
ABX1 7
ABX 7 would increase the share of cap & trade ASSEMBLY PRINT
(Nazarian D)
funds dedicated to transit. The bill would
Public transit:
increase the amount allocated to the Low
funding.
Carbon Transit Operations Program from 5% to
10%, and increase the amount allocated to the
Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program from 10%
to 20%.
ABX1 8
(Chiu D)
Diesel sales and
use tax.
Starting on July 1, 2016, ABX 8 would impose a
sales tax on diesel fuel sales of 5.25%. This
revenue would be deposited into the Public
Transportation Account and allocated to
operators through the State Transit Assistance
formula.
ASSEMBLY PRINT
SUPPORT
SUPPORT
The bill would also sunset the existing 1.75% gas
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tax swap add-on sales tax imposed on diesel fuel
sales on July 1, 2016. Thus replacing the existing
1.75% rate with the 5.25% rate.
SB 9
SB 9 makes the following beneficial changes to Signed Into Law
(Beall D)
the Transit Capital & Intercity Rail Program:
Greenhouse Gas
 Requires CalSTA to consider the extent to Chapter 710,
Reduction Fund:
which a project reduces GHG emissions in Statutes of 2015
Transit and
selecting projects for funding.
Intercity Rail
 Clarifies eligible applicants include bus,
Capital Program.
rail, and ferry operators.
 Requires CalSTA, by July 1, 2016, to
develop a five-year estimate of revenues
of the program in annual increments and
adopt an initial program of projects for
those five years.
 Authorizes CalSTA to enter into and
execute a multiyear funding agreement
with an eligible applicant for a multiyear
project.
 Authorizes a lead applicant agency to
apply to CTC for a letter of no prejudice
SB 231
(Gaines R)
Transportation
programs
As introduced, SB 231 would amend the
Signed Into Law –
allocation formula for State Transit Assistance Chapter #286,
funds to specify that the population allocation Statutes of 2015
for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency shall be
based on a population of 145,000 persons, even
though the actual population is far less than that.
SUPPORT
OPPOSE UNLESS
AMENDED – prior
version
WATCH
OPPOSE UNLESS
AMENDED – prior
version
As approved by the Senate Appropriations
Committee, the STA provisions were removed
from the bill. With this amendment, CalACT has
removed its opposition.
Currently, SB 231 would amend the authorizing
statute for the Affordable Housing & Sustainable
Communities Program and the Low Carbon
Transit Operations Program to specifically allow
for water borne transit service to qualify for
funding.
SB 321
(Beall D)
Motor vehicle
fuel taxes: rates:
adjustments.
SB 321 is intended to smooth out the up and
down spikes to the excise tax adjustment that
result from volatile fuel prices.
Senate Floor –
Inactive File
DEAD
In short, this bill would allow the BOE to forecast
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the revenue neutrality calculation based on a
five year horizon, rather than the current one
year outlook. According to the bill the BOE could
also phase in any adjust over three years, as well
as authorize the BOE to update the rate on a
quarterly rather than an annual basis if
conditions warrant.
SB 391
(Huff R)
Assault and
battery: transit
employees
SB 391 would enhance the penalties for assault DEAD
or battery of a transit employee. Specifically SB
391 adds transit employee to the list of
individuals, such as police officers, firefighters
and medical personnel. The fines for assault or
battery of a transit employee would increase to a
fine not exceeding $2,000 or up to 1 year in jail,
or both.
SB 344
(Monning D)
Commercial
driver's license:
education
Pursuant to SB 344 in order to obtain a
ASSEMBLY APPR – SUPPORT
commercial driver's license, an individual must HELD ON SUSPENSE
successfully complete a course of instruction
FILE
from either a commercial motor vehicle driver
training institution or a program offered by an
employer, and that has been certified by DMV, in
addition to successfully completing a written and
driving test.
SB 344 exempts from these requirements
specified existing training programs used by
transit operators, such as the “Train the Trainer”
program.
SB 413
SB 413 is sponsored by the California Transit
Signed Into Law
(Wieckowski D) Association. This bill would add two more
Public transit:
activities to the list of activities punishable by a Chapter 765,
prohibited
fine or administrative penalty when on a transit Statutes of 2015
conduct.
vehicle or facility.
SB 413 would make failure to comply with a
warning related to loud or unreasonable noise
subject to a penalty. The bill also removes the
exemption of juveniles from the administrative
penalties process.
The bill was amended to replace the failure to
yield a seat reserved for an elderly or disabled
person with language that would authorize an
operator to adopt an ordinance to enforce
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failure to yield a seat as an infraction. .
SB 508
(Beall D)
Transit
operations:
financial
requirements.
SB 508 is sponsored by CTA. This bill makes
several changes to the fare box recovery ratio
calculation and eligibility criteria for STA funds.
Signed Into Law
Chapter 716,
Statutes of 2015
SB 508 makes the following changes:
 Deletes the fare box recovery
requirement that agencies maintain the
ratio they achieved in 1978-79.
 Excludes the principal and interest
payments on capital projects funded with
certificates of participation.
 Excludes from the operating cost
definition increases in costs beyond the
CPI for the cost of fuel, alternative fuel,
power, insurance premiums, settlement
payments, and state and federal
mandates.
 Clarifies that local funds used to meet the
farebox ratio includes any nonstate or
nonfederal grants.
 Replaces the “pass / fail” nature of the
STA qualifying criteria, with a sliding
scale.
SB 508 also clarifies that a portion of local
transportation funds can be used educational
programs promoting bicycling and pedestrian
safety.
SBX1 7
Identical to ABX 8, SBX 7 would replace the
SENATE APPR
(Allen D)
existing 1.75% diesel fuel sales tax that was
Diesel sales and imposed as part of the gas tax swap with a 5.25%
use tax.
sales tax rate.
SBX1 8
(Hill D)
Public transit:
funding.
SUPPORT
Starting on July 1, 2016, SBX 7 would impose a
sales tax on diesel fuel sales of 5.25%, and sunset
the existing 1.75% sales tax rate imposed on
diesel fuel sales. This revenue would be
deposited into the Public Transportation Account
and allocated to operators through the State
Transit Assistance formula.
SBX 8 is identical to ABX 7.
SENATE APPR
SUPPORT
SUPPORT
SBX 8 would the amount allocated to the Low
Carbon Transit Operations Program from 5% to
10%, and increase the amount allocated to the
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Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program from 10%
to 20%.
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