General aviation airports: funding needs assessment.

Existing law requires the Division of Aeronautics in the Department of Transportation, in consultation with certain transportation planning agencies, to prepare a California Aviation System Plan with prescribed elements. Existing law requires the division to submit the plan to the California Transportation Commission, to revise biennially the capital improvement plan element of the plan, and to revise the remainder of the plan every 5 years. Existing law requires the commission to adopt the plan or to revise and adopt the plan. This bill would require the commission to prepare a funding needs assessment for the state's general aviation airports. As part of the funding needs assessment, the bill would require the commission to forecast the expected revenue to pay for the costs identified in the needs assessment, any shortfall in revenue to cover the costs, and recommendations on how any shortfall should be addressed. The bill would require the funding needs assessment to be informed by the California Aviation System Plan and the most recent capital improvement plan. The bill would require the commission to submit the funding needs assessment to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2026.