Transportation: San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors to create or otherwise designate local agencies, including a transportation authority that may impose a transportation sales tax subject to voter approval, a service authority for freeway emergencies, and a transportation congestion management agency, as specified. The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes the legislative or other governing bodies of 2 or more public agencies to jointly exercise, by agreement, any power common to the contracting parties, as specified. The County Transportation Commissions Act provides for the creation of county transportation commissions in the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, with various powers and duties relative to transportation planning and funding, as specified. This bill would create the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority as the successor agency to the powers, duties, revenues, debts, obligations, liabilities, immunities, and exemptions of the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission and San Bernardino County local transportation authority, service authority for freeway emergencies, and local congestion management agency, and of the San Bernardino Associated Governments, when it was acting on behalf, or in the capacity, of those agencies. By imposing new duties on local government associated with this consolidation, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.