State Highway Operation and Protection Program: local streets and roads: appropriation.

Existing law appropriates the sum of $663,287,000 for the 2015–16 fiscal year from the State Highway Account to the Department of Transportation for Capital Outlay Support. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to prepare a state highway operation and protection program every other year for the expenditure of transportation capital improvement funds for projects that are necessary to preserve and protect the state highway system, excluding projects that add new traffic lanes. Existing law provides for apportionment of specified portions of revenues in the Highway Users Tax Account derived from gasoline and diesel excise taxes to cities and counties by formula, with the remaining revenues to be deposited in the State Highway Account for expenditure on various state transportation programs, including maintenance of state highways and transportation capital improvement projects. This bill would reduce the $663,287,000 appropriation for Capital Outlay Support by $500 million, and would appropriate $500 million from the State Highway Account for the 2015–16 fiscal year, with 50% to be made available to the Department of Transportation for maintenance of the state highway system or for purposes of the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, and 50% to be made available to the Controller for apportionment to cities and counties by formula for street and road purposes.