Existing law defines a battery as any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another. Existing law provides that when a battery is committed against the person of an operator, driver, or passenger on a bus, taxicab, streetcar, cable car, trackless trolley, or other motor vehicle, as specified, and the person who commits the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is engaged in the performance of their duties, the penalty is imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, a fine not exceeding $10,000, or both the fine and imprisonment. Existing law also provides that if the victim is injured, the offense would be punished by a fine not exceeding $10,000, by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or in the state prison for 16 months, 2, or 3 years, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This bill would expand this crime to apply to an employee, public transportation provider, or contractor of a public transportation provider. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes any employer or collective bargaining representative whose employee has suffered harassment, unlawful violence, or a credible threat of violence from any individual, which can reasonably be construed to be carried out or to have been carried out at the workplace, to seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction on behalf of the employee and other employees of the employer. This bill would clarify that "unlawful violence" includes battery committed against the person of an operator, driver, or passenger on a bus, taxicab, streetcar, cable car, trackless trolley, or other motor vehicle, as specified, or against an employee, public transportation provider, or contractor of a public transportation provider. The bill would also clarify that the definition of "employer" for the above-described provision includes a joint powers authority or a public transit operator. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
(1) Existing law imposes various functions and duties on the State Air Resources Board relating to reducing emissions of air pollutants. Existing law requires the state board to identify toxic air contaminants that are emitted into the ambient air of the state and to adopt airborne toxic control measures to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants. Pursuant to its authority, the state board has adopted the Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and other pollutants from diesel-fueled transport refrigeration units used to power electrically driven refrigerated shipping containers and trailers that are operated in California. Existing law authorizes the state board under certain circumstances to impose a fee to cover the cost of its regulation of specified activities. This bill would authorize the state board to impose a fee on any entity regulated by the state board under the Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation for the state board's reasonable regulatory costs associated with the implementation, administration, and enforcement of that regulation, as specified. The bill would require the revenues collected from the fee to be deposited into the Certification and Compliance Fund and to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for those costs. (2) Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law continuously appropriates specified portions of the annual proceeds in the fund to various programs, including 5% for the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation and provides operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and improve mobility. Existing law requires the Controller to allocate funding under the program for the 2019–20 to 2022–23, inclusive, fiscal years to recipient transit agencies pursuant to specified individual operator ratios published by the Controller. This bill would extend the application of those individual operator ratios to the allocation of that funding through the 2025–26 fiscal year. (3) Under existing law, public transportation systems funded under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act that provide charter bus services are required to establish rates for those services that, among other things, are either at least equal to the average of the 3 lowest current rates charged by private charter bus carriers operating charters in the same service area of the system or at least equal to the fully allocated cost of each charter operated, as specified. This bill would revise that rate requirement to instead require rates to be established that are either at least equal to the average of the 3 lowest current rates charged by private charter bus carriers operating charters in the same service area of the system or at least equal to the marginal cost of each charter operated, as specified. (4) Existing law authorizes the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as the successor entity to the Southern California Rapid Transit District, to operate charter bus service, subject to certain limitations. This bill would authorize the authority to provide charter bus service for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the period from June 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026, inclusive, in the County of Los Angeles, subject to certain conditions, and would also authorize other public transportation providers, operating under contract with the authority, to provide charter bus services in the County of Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as specified. The bill would also exempt the operation of these charter bus services from certain requirements applicable to charter bus services performed by public transportation systems receiving funding under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act if the operator establishes rates for those services that meet specified requirements. (5) Existing law authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the San Mateo County Transit District to operate charter bus service, subject to certain limitations. This bill would authorize those entities and any other public transportation operator providing public transit services in any portion of the greater San Francisco Bay area, as defined, to provide charter bus service for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the period from June 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026, inclusive, subject to certain conditions. The bill would also exempt the operation of these charter bus services from certain requirements applicable to charter bus services performed by public transportation systems receiving funding under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act if the operator establishes rates for those services that meet specified requirements. (6) Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of optional mobile or digital alternatives to driver's licenses and identification cards, subject to certain requirements, including, but not limited to, the voluntary participation of persons in the program and a limitation on the percentage of licensed drivers who can participate in the program. This bill would expand the percentage of licensed drivers who can participate in the program from 5% to 15%. (7) Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation, upon adoption of an ordinance or resolution by certain cities, to issue a special permit to the operator of a vehicle, combination of vehicles, or mobile equipment, permitting the operation and movement of the vehicle, combination, or equipment, and its load, on specified portions of state highways, if the vehicle, combination, or equipment, meets specified criteria. This bill would additionally authorize the department to issue the above-described special permit to operate and move a vehicle, combination of vehicles, or mobile equipment, and its load, on the 1.7-mile portion of State Route 185 that is between High Street and Hegenberger Road, known as International Boulevard in the City of Oakland, if the vehicle, combination, or equipment meets that specified criteria. The bill would authorize the department to issue those permits until December 31, 2031, or until an alternate truck route to San Leandro Street becomes available, as specified. The bill would require the City of Oakland to report certain data to the Legislature and the Department of Transportation on or before January 1, 2031. By increasing the duties of a city, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (8) The Administrative Procedure Act sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. Existing law, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, appropriates $132,175,000 from the Air Pollution Control Fund to the State Air Resources Board when funds are available from the Hino Consent Decree, to be administered through the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, as provided. This bill would exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act guidelines or other standards adopted and used in administering those appropriated moneys. (9) 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 the statutory provisions noted above. (10) Existing law establishes the Air Pollution Control Fund for the California Air Resources Board to carry out its duties and functions. This bill would appropriate, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, $1,000 from the Air Pollution Control Fund to the California Air Resources Board for the Transport Refrigeration Unit Program. (11) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.
(1) Existing law imposes various functions and duties on the State Air Resources Board relating to reducing emissions of air pollutants. Existing law requires the state board to identify toxic air contaminants that are emitted into the ambient air of the state and to adopt airborne toxic control measures to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants. Pursuant to its authority, the state board has adopted the Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and other pollutants from diesel-fueled transport refrigeration units used to power electrically driven refrigerated shipping containers and trailers that are operated in California. Existing law authorizes the state board under certain circumstances to impose a fee to cover the cost of its regulation of specified activities. This bill would authorize the state board to impose a fee on any entity regulated by the state board under the Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation for the state board's reasonable regulatory costs associated with the implementation, administration, and enforcement of that regulation, as specified. The bill would require the revenues collected from the fee to be deposited into the Certification and Compliance Fund and to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for those costs. (2) Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law continuously appropriates specified portions of the annual proceeds in the fund to various programs, including 5% for the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation and provides operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and improve mobility. Existing law requires the Controller to allocate funding under the program for the 2019–20 to 2022–23, inclusive, fiscal years to recipient transit agencies pursuant to specified individual operator ratios published by the Controller. This bill would extend the application of those individual operator ratios to the allocation of that funding through the 2025–26 fiscal year. (3) Under existing law, public transportation systems funded under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act that provide charter bus services are required to establish rates for those services that, among other things, are either at least equal to the average of the 3 lowest current rates charged by private charter bus carriers operating charters in the same service area of the system or at least equal to the fully allocated cost of each charter operated, as specified. This bill would revise that rate requirement to instead require rates to be established that are either at least equal to the average of the 3 lowest current rates charged by private charter bus carriers operating charters in the same service area of the system or at least equal to the marginal cost of each charter operated, as specified. (4) Existing law authorizes the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as the successor entity to the Southern California Rapid Transit District, to operate charter bus service, subject to certain limitations. This bill would authorize the authority to provide charter bus service for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the period from June 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026, inclusive, in the County of Los Angeles, subject to certain conditions, and would also authorize other public transportation providers, operating under contract with the authority, to provide charter bus services in the County of Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as specified. The bill would also exempt the operation of these charter bus services from certain requirements applicable to charter bus services performed by public transportation systems receiving funding under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act if the operator establishes rates for those services that meet specified requirements. (5) Existing law authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the San Mateo County Transit District to operate charter bus service, subject to certain limitations. This bill would authorize those entities and any other public transportation operator providing public transit services in any portion of the greater San Francisco Bay area, as defined, to provide charter bus service for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the period from June 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026, inclusive, subject to certain conditions. The bill would also exempt the operation of these charter bus services from certain requirements applicable to charter bus services performed by public transportation systems receiving funding under the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act if the operator establishes rates for those services that meet specified requirements. (6) Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of optional mobile or digital alternatives to driver's licenses and identification cards, subject to certain requirements, including, but not limited to, the voluntary participation of persons in the program and a limitation on the percentage of licensed drivers who can participate in the program. This bill would expand the percentage of licensed drivers who can participate in the program from 5% to 15%. (7) Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation, upon adoption of an ordinance or resolution by certain cities, to issue a special permit to the operator of a vehicle, combination of vehicles, or mobile equipment, permitting the operation and movement of the vehicle, combination, or equipment, and its load, on specified portions of state highways, if the vehicle, combination, or equipment, meets specified criteria. This bill would additionally authorize the department to issue the above-described special permit to operate and move a vehicle, combination of vehicles, or mobile equipment, and its load, on the 1.7-mile portion of State Route 185 that is between High Street and Hegenberger Road, known as International Boulevard in the City of Oakland, if the vehicle, combination, or equipment meets that specified criteria. The bill would authorize the department to issue those permits until December 31, 2031, or until an alternate truck route to San Leandro Street becomes available, as specified. The bill would require the City of Oakland to report certain data to the Legislature and the Department of Transportation on or before January 1, 2031. By increasing the duties of a city, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (8) The Administrative Procedure Act sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. Existing law, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, appropriates $132,175,000 from the Air Pollution Control Fund to the State Air Resources Board when funds are available from the Hino Consent Decree, to be administered through the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, as provided. This bill would exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act guidelines or other standards adopted and used in administering those appropriated moneys. (9) 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 the statutory provisions noted above. (10) Existing law establishes the Air Pollution Control Fund for the California Air Resources Board to carry out its duties and functions. This bill would appropriate, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, $1,000 from the Air Pollution Control Fund to the California Air Resources Board for the Transport Refrigeration Unit Program. (11) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.
Existing law, beginning January 1, 2026, prescribes various statewide warehouse design and build standards for any proposed new or expanded logistics use developments, as specified, including, among other things, standards for building design and location, parking, truck loading bays, landscaping buffers, entry gates, and signage. Existing law defines various terms, including "21st century warehouse," and "tier 1 21st century warehouse," for purposes of those provisions as logistics uses that, among other things, comply with specified building and energy efficiency standards, including requirements related to the availability of conduits and electrical hookups to power climate control equipment at loading bays, as specified. Existing law, subject to specified exceptions, defines "logistics use" for these purposes to mean a building in which cargo, goods, or products are moved or stored for later distribution to business or retail customers, or both, that does not predominantly serve retail customers for onsite purchases, and heavy-duty trucks are primarily involved in the movement of the cargo, goods, or products. This bill would clarify that a 21st century warehouse and a tier 1 21st century warehouse are required to comply with those standards as are in effect at the time that the building permit for a development of a 21st century warehouse is issued and make other clarifying changes relating to permissibility of use of conduits and electrical hookups at loading bays at those locations. The bill would revise the definition of "logistics use" and instead define "logistics use development" for these purposes to mean a building that is primarily used as a warehouse for the movement or the storage of cargo, goods, or products that are moved to business or retail customers, or both, that does not predominantly serve retail customers for onsite purchases, and heavy-duty trucks are primarily involved in the movement of the cargo, goods, or products. The bill would make various other technical and conforming changes to the provisions governing logistics use development. Existing law requires a facility operator, before issuance of a certificate of occupancy, to establish and submit for approval by a city, county, or city and county a truck routing plan that, among other things, described the operational characteristics of the use of the facility operator. Existing law requires, by January 1, 2028, a county or city to update its circulation element, as provided, and to provide for posting of conspicuous signage to identify truck routes and additional signage for truck parking and appropriate idling facility locations, as specified. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to enforce those provisions concerning the circulation element and to impose a fine against a jurisdiction that is in violation of these provisions, as provided. This bill would, instead, require that the truck routing plan describe the operational characteristics of the logistics use development and of the logistics use development operator. The bill would require a jurisdiction, except as specified, to adopt a prescribed ordinance, on or before January 1, 2028, including that the ordinance establishes specific travel routes for the transport of goods, materials, or freight for storage, transfer, or redistribution to safely accommodate additional truck traffic and avoid residential areas and sensitive receptors, as provided. The bill would, instead, require a county or city that is located in a warehouse concentration region to update its circulation element, on or before January 1, 2026, as specified. On and after January 1, 2028, or January 1, 2030, as specified, the bill would require that all proposed development of a logistics use development be accessible via arterial roads, major thoroughfares, or roads that predominantly serve commercially oriented uses. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring an action against a city, county, or city and county that is in violation of these provisions. The bill would make a city, county, or city and county that has been found by a court to be in violation of these provisions subject to a civil penalty of up to $50,000 every 6 months, accrued from the date of the violation until the violation is cured, specified costs, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The bill would require a city or county to provide for posting of conspicuous signage to identify truck routes and additional signage for truck parking and appropriate locations for idling and parking, among other things. Existing law requires a city, county, or city and county to condition approval of a logistics use development on (1) 2-to-1 replacement of any demolished housing unit that was occupied within the last 10 years, unless the housing unit was declared substandard by a building official, prior to purchase by the developer, and (2) the provision to any displaced tenant with a specified amount if residential dwellings are affected through purchase, as provided. This bill would establish that nothing in the provisions described above regarding conditions placed upon approval of a logistics use development shall be construed to preclude the applicability of or compliance with other provisions that, among other things, prohibit an affected city or an affected county, as defined, from approving a development project that will require the demolition of occupied or vacant protected units, as defined, or that is located on a site where protected units were demolished in the previous 5 years, unless specified requirements are satisfied. Existing law provides for the creation of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in those portions of the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino included within the area of the South Coast Air Basin, as specified. Existing law requires the district, subject to an appropriation for the express purpose, to deploy mobile air monitoring systems to collect air pollution measurements in communities that are near operational logistics use developments, use the data collected to conduct an air modeling analysis and submit its findings to the Legislature, and establish a process for receiving community input on how specified penalties assessed and collected are spent. This bill would delete the requirement that the district use the data collected, as described above, to conduct an air modeling analysis and, instead, based upon the amount of appropriated funds, authorize the district to use a combination of new air monitoring data or other measurement data to evaluate pollutant concentrations, as provided. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to references to the South Coast Air Quality Management District contained in those provisions. Existing law creates in the Transportation Agency, the Department of the California Highway Patrol under the control of a civil executive officer known as the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol. Existing law requires the commissioner to establish a school for the training and education of the members of the California Highway Patrol, and for other employees of the department deemed necessary, in traffic regulation, in the performance of their duties, and in the proper enforcement of codes and laws respecting use of the highways. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, to make specified training on enforcement of laws relating to commercial vehicles, including, but not limited to, truck route enforcement, available to city and county law enforcement agencies, as specified. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law authorizes the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle operated if specified requirements are satisfied. Existing law prohibits the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads until the manufacturer submits an application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as specified, and that application is approved. A violation of the Vehicle Code or a local ordinance adopted pursuant to that code is an infraction. This bill would prohibit the delivery of commercial goods, as defined, directly to a residence or to a business for its use or retail sale through the operation of an autonomous vehicle without a human safety operator on any highway within the State of California. The bill would make a first violation of this provision subject to a $10,000 administrative fine and a $25,000 administrative fine for subsequent violations. The bill would authorize the department to suspend or revoke the permit of an autonomous vehicle manufacturer for repeated violations of this provision. The bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the performance of autonomous vehicle technology and its impact on public safety and employment, as specified. This bill would require all relevant state agencies, including, among others, the Department of Transportation and the State Air Resources Board, to provide information to the department to research this report. The bill would prohibit the department from issuing a deployment permit for the use of an autonomous vehicle to deliver commercial goods without a human safety operator until a later enacted statute authorizes the issuance of a permit for that purpose. The bill would also make certain findings and declarations related to these provisions.
The Freeway Service Patrol Act authorizes and provides funding for freeway service patrols, operated pursuant to an agreement between the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Transportation, and a regional or local governmental entity, to provide emergency roadside assistance on traffic-congested urban freeways throughout the state. The act requires each tow truck participating in a freeway service patrol to bear a specified logo that identifies the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation, and, at the option of the entity, the participating regional or local entity. This bill would require the Department of Transportation, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and participating and eligible regional and local entities to, each time the guidelines for program operations are updated after January 1, 2026, consider developing or revising and including in the guidelines operational requirements for sponsorship agreements between a participating regional or local entity and any private third party that allow for the display of the sponsor's name and logo on participating tow trucks, as provided. The bill would authorize a participating regional or local entity to generate additional revenue for its freeway service patrol by entering into a sponsorship agreement, subject to those operational requirements, that allows for the display of a sponsor's name and logo on participating tow trucks, as specified, that are in addition to the above-described required logo.
Existing law regulates vehicles, including autonomous vehicles and autonomous technology in vehicles. Under existing federal statute and regulation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the Third Amended Standing General Order 2021-01, effective June 16, 2025, that requires specified vehicle and equipment manufacturers and operators of autonomous driving systems and Level 2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) vehicles to report crashes to NHTSA, as specified. A violation of the Vehicle Code is an infraction. This bill would require a manufacturer of a Level 2 ADAS vehicle to report a crash involving its Level 2 ADAS vehicle to the Department of Motor Vehicles, including reporting the crash, as defined, within 5 days of the crash, as specified, if specified conditions pertaining to the crash are met. The bill would require the department to post this crash data on its internet website, as specified, and to transmit this data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, as specified. The bill would prohibit the department from publishing any proprietary business information, including any personally identifiable information, when posting crash data on its internet website and would make this information confidential and not subject to disclosure under certain public records provisions. The bill would impose a civil penalty of $27,874 per violation per day on a manufacturer that fails to report a crash pursuant to these provisions. The bill would be operative only if the Third Amended Standing General Order 2021-01 is repealed and not replaced with another general order, a federal statute, or a federal regulation that is consistent with the repealed General Order, as determined by the Director of Motor Vehicles. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. By expanding the application of a crime, this bill would create 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority, with specified powers and duties related to the development and implementation of a high-speed train system. This bill would require the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, on or before January 1, 2027, to commission a study on economic opportunities along the corridor of the California high-speed rail project, as defined, and other high-speed rail projects in California that are planned to directly connect to the California high-speed rail project, as provided, and to submit a progress report to the chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Transportation and the Assembly Committee on Transportation for input. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, the study to be completed and a report on the study's findings and recommendations to be submitted to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The bill would require an infrastructure district, as defined, that uses its revenue to finance the construction of the high-speed rail project to dedicate a majority of its revenue to infrastructure projects within the jurisdiction of the local agencies that establish the district.
Existing law establishes the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation in the Governor's office for the purpose of serving the Governor and the Governor's cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research and constituting the comprehensive state planning agency. Existing law authorizes a local agency to finance infrastructure projects through various means, including by authorizing a city or county to establish an enhanced infrastructure financing district to finance public capital facilities or other specified projects of communitywide significance that provide significant benefits to the district or the surrounding community. This bill would require the office, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish the Infrastructure Gap-Fund Program to provide grants to local agencies for the development and construction of infrastructure projects, as defined, facing unforeseen costs after starting construction. The bill would authorize the office to provide funding for up to 20% of a project's additional projected cost, as defined, after the project has started construction, subject to specified conditions, including, among other things, that the local agency has allocated existing local tax revenue for at least 45% of the initially budgeted total cost of the infrastructure project. When applying to the program, the bill would require the local agency to demonstrate challenges with completing the project on time and on budget and how the infrastructure project helps meet state and local goals, as specified. The bill would require the office to develop guidelines to implement the program that establish the criteria by which grant applications will be evaluated and funded. The bill would make these provisions operative on January 1, 2030.
The California High-Speed Rail Act creates the High-Speed Rail Authority (authority) to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties, including the power to enter into contracts, relocate highways and utilities, and enter into cooperative or joint development agreements with local governments or private entities, as specified. The act establishes legal procedures for the relocation of publicly and privately owned utility facilities, as defined, when the authority requires any utility to remove any utility facility lawfully maintained in the right-of-way of any high-speed rail property to a location entirely outside the high-speed rail property right-of-way subject to specified conditions. The act authorizes the authority and any utility to enter into a specified agreement or contract to remove or relocate any utility facility that provides for, among other things, the respective amounts of the cost to be borne by each party or that apportions the obligations and costs of each party. Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority Office of the Inspector General (office) and authorizes the High-Speed Rail Authority Inspector General (inspector general) to initiate an audit or review regarding oversight related to delivery of the high-speed rail project undertaken by the authority and the selection and oversight of contractors related to that project. Existing law requires the inspector general to submit annual reports to the Legislature and Governor regarding its findings. This bill would require the authority, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop and adopt internal rules, as defined, setting forth standards and timelines for the authority to engage utilities to ensure coordination and cooperation in relocating utility infrastructure or otherwise resolving utility conflicts affecting the delivery of the high-speed rail project. The bill would require the authority to ensure that the internal rules, among other things, identify the circumstances under which the authority would be required seek to enter into a cooperative agreement with a utility that, where relevant, identifies who is responsible for specific utility relocations, as specified. This bill would require the authority, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop and adopt regulations setting forth requirements governing local agency permits and approvals that are necessary to deliver the high-speed rail project. The bill would require the authority to ensure that the regulations, among other things, identify the circumstances under which the authority would be required to seek to enter into a cooperative agreement with a local agency that, where relevant, identifies who is responsible for specific actions, as specified. This bill would require the authority to consult with specified entities in developing the internal rules and regulations and would require the authority to hold at least 2 public hearings regarding the proposed internal rules and regulations. This bill would delay the operation of these internal rules and regulations until the office determines that the authority has completed the development and implementation of a process to review third-party agreements in a timely manner as recommended by the office, as specified. The bill would require the office, beginning one year after the operative date of the internal rules and regulations, to conduct a review of the effectiveness of those rules and regulations and to make recommendations for their improvement. The bill would require the office, when it determines that the high-speed rail project is complete, to submit a report to the Legislature informing the Legislature of that fact. The bill would make the requirement to adopt these internal rules and regulations inoperative on the date that the office submits that report to the Legislature. This bill would require the authority and specified utilities to identify existing barriers and agree to preferred solutions to those barriers by December 31, 2026, to ensure utility relocations do not result in unnecessary or foreseeable project delays, as specified. This bill would declare its provisions to be severable. To the extent this bill imposes additional duties on local entities, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
