Transportation: bond-funded projects: letter of no prejudice.

Existing law, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes, including $950 million to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission to eligible recipients for capital improvements to intercity and commuter rail lines and urban rail transit systems in connection with or otherwise related to the high-speed train system. Existing law, with respect to the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, a $19.925 billion general obligation bond act for transportation and related purposes, authorizes a regional or local agency to apply for a letter of no prejudice that makes that agency eligible to expend funds under its control for a project or project component that has been designated to receive bond funding and to be subsequently reimbursed from bond funds for that expenditure when bond funds become available. This bill would allow an eligible recipient for funding for capital improvements to intercity and commuter rail lines and urban rail transit systems in connection with or otherwise related to the high-speed train system under the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century to apply to the California Transportation Commission and the Department of Transportation for a letter of no prejudice relating to those projects. The bill would authorize the commission and the department to develop guidelines to implement these provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.