Transportation finance: De Luz Community Services District.

Article XIX of the California Constitution restricts the use of fuel excise tax revenues imposed by the state on fuels used in motor vehicles upon public streets and highways to expenditure on highway and certain mass transit purposes. Existing law provides for the deposit of these revenues in the Highway Users Tax Account, and appropriates those revenues for various purposes. With respect to the portion of these revenues that is derived from increases in the motor vehicle fuel excise tax beginning in 2010, existing law requires, after certain allocations are made, the Controller to allocate the remaining amount of this portion of revenues 44% to the state transportation improvement program, 12% to the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, and 44% to cities and counties for local street and road purposes. This bill would require the Controller to allocate a portion of these revenues available for counties to the De Luz Community Services District for local street and road purposes as though the De Luz Community Services District were a county. The bill would thereby make an appropriation. Existing law creates the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. Existing law provides for the deposit of various funds, including revenues from certain increases in fuel taxes and vehicle fees enacted in 2017, for the program in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account. After certain allocations for the program are made, existing law requires the remaining funds available for the program to be continuously appropriated 50% for maintenance of the state highway system or to the State Highway Operation and Protection Program and 50% for apportionment to cities and counties by the Controller pursuant to a specified formula. Before receiving an apportionment of funds under the program from the Controller in a fiscal year, existing law requires an eligible city or county to submit to the California Transportation Commission a list of projects proposed to be funded with these funds. Existing law requires the commission to report to the Controller the cities and counties that have submitted a list of projects and requires the Controller, upon receipt of the report, to apportion funds to eligible cities and counties included in the report, as specified. Existing law requires cities and counties to maintain their existing commitment of local funds for street, road, and highway purposes in order to remain eligible for an allocation or apportionment of these funds. This bill would require the Controller to allocate a portion of these revenues available for counties to the De Luz Community Services District pursuant to the specified formula after the Controller receives a report from the commission indicating that the district submitted a list of projects proposed to be funded with these funds. The bill would thereby make an appropriation. The bill would exempt the district from the maintenance of effort requirement. The bill would make other conforming changes. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the De Luz Community Services District.