Transportation Resilience Program.

Existing law generally provides for programming and allocation of state and federal transportation capital improvement program funds pursuant to the state transportation improvement program process administered by the California Transportation Commission. Existing law provides for allocation of certain other transportation capital improvement funds outside the state transportation improvement program process, including funds set aside for state highway rehabilitation under the state highway operation and protection program and funds from various other sources. This bill would establish the Transportation Resilience Program in the Department of Transportation, to be funded in the annual Budget Act from 15% of the available federal National Highway Performance Program funds and 100% of the available federal Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation program funds. The bill would provide for funds to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission for climate adaptation planning and resilience improvements, as defined, that address or mitigate the risk of recurring damage to, or closures of, the state highway system, other federal-aid roads, public transit facilities, and other surface transportation assets from extreme weather events, sea level rise, or other climate change-fueled natural hazards. The bill would establish specified eligibility criteria for projects to receive funding under the program and would require the commission to prioritize projects that meet certain criteria.