Department of Transportation: environmental review process: federal pilot program.

Existing law gives the Department of Transportation full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing federal law requires the United States Secretary of Transportation to carry out a surface transportation project delivery pilot program, under which the participating states assume certain responsibilities for environmental review and clearance of transportation projects that would otherwise be the responsibility of the federal government. Existing law, until January 1, 2017, provided that the State of California consents to the jurisdiction of the federal courts with regard to the compliance, discharge, or enforcement of the responsibilities it assumed as a participant in the pilot program. This bill would reinstate the operation of the latter provision. The bill would repeal that provision on January 1, 2020. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.