(1) Existing law establishes in state government the Transportation Agency, which includes various departments and state entities, including the California Transportation Commission. Existing law vests the California Transportation Commission with specified powers, duties, and functions relative to transportation matters. Existing law requires the commission to retain independent authority to perform the duties and functions prescribed to it under any provision of law. This bill would exclude the California Transportation Commission from the Transportation Agency, establish it as an entity in state government, and require it to act in an independent oversight role. The bill would also make conforming changes. (2) 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. The program is required to be based on an asset management plan, as specified. Existing law requires the department to specify, for each project in the program, the capital and support budget and projected delivery date for various components of the project. Existing law provides for the California Transportation Commission to review and adopt the program, and authorizes the commission to decline to adopt the program if it determines that the program is not sufficiently consistent with the asset management plan. This bill would additionally require the department to program capital outlay support resources for each project in the program. The bill would provide that the commission is not required to approve the program in its entirety, as submitted by the department, and may approve or reject individual projects programmed by the department. The bill would require the department to submit any change in a programmed project's cost, scope, or schedule to the commission for its approval.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish a fire prevention fee to be charged on each habitable structure, defined as a building used or intended to be used for human habitation, on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area, as defined. Existing law requires that moneys collected from the fee be deposited into the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and be available, upon appropriation, to the board and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for specified fire prevention activities that benefit the owners of habitable structures within a state responsibility area who are required to pay the fee, as prescribed. Existing law requires the board, among other things, to establish a local assistance grant program for those fire prevention activities provided by counties and other local agencies with state responsibility areas within their jurisdictions. This bill would also expressly authorize the use of moneys in the fund for payments to local government entities that carry out fire prevention activities in state responsibility areas pursuant to an agreement with the department.
This measure would declare May 18, 2016, as the 28th Annual State Scientist Day, as a tribute to the dedication and professionalism of the state scientists who work on behalf of all the residents of California.
This measure would recognize "Women Warriors" by proclaiming the week of March 14, 2016, to March 20, 2016, inclusive, as Women's Military History Week in California and would encourage Californians to recognize, among other things, the contributions of women to our military and our freedom and the historic lifting of the ban on women in combat on January 24, 2013.
This measure would proclaim March 23, 2016, as Pakistani American Day and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating Pakistani American Day.
This measure would designate the week of January 31, 2016, to February 6, 2016, inclusive, as Physician Anesthesiologist Week.
This measure would declare February 19, 2016, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
This measure would proclaim the month of March 2016, and each year thereafter, as National Kidney Month, would express the Legislature's support of programs that work to, among other things, increase awareness of kidney disease, and would encourage health care providers to engage in an aggressive program for the treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure.