This measure would urge President Donald J. Trump and Congress to protect and maintain the historic investments made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
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.
Existing law requires a driver approaching, among others, a stationary marked Caltrans vehicle that is displaying flashing lights to approach with due caution and either change lanes to a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or, if unable to safely do so, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of that provision an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than $50. This bill would expand that requirement to apply to all marked highway maintenance vehicles, as defined, and would also make that requirement applicable to any other stationary vehicle displaying flashing hazard lights or another warning device, including, but not limited to, cones, flares, or retroreflective devices. By expanding the scope of a crime, this 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.
Existing law, the State Aeronautics Act, governs various matters relative to aviation in the state, and authorizes the Department of Transportation to adopt, administer, and enforce rules and regulations for the administration of the act. This bill, the Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure Act, would require the department, in coordination with specified agencies, to include advanced air mobility, as defined, in the next update to the California Transportation Plan prepared after January 1, 2027, and to establish a statewide working group to facilitate ongoing collaboration to explore California's role as a leader in the development and implementation of advanced air mobility, as specified. The bill would prohibit its provisions from being construed to (1) interfere with or suspend the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration or any other federal department or agency, or state zoning laws or regulations, as specified, or (2) limit or interfere with the jurisdiction, authority, rights, or responsibilities of any airport sponsor or operator, as specified.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. Under existing law, the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide local assistance to developers for the purpose of developing higher density uses within close proximity to transit stations as provided. Existing law, establishes the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund and, to the extent funds are available, requires the department to make loans for the development and construction of housing development projects within close proximity to a transit station that meet specified criteria. This bill would authorize a project, to the extent that the project is required to mitigate transportation impacts under CEQA, to satisfy the mitigation requirement by electing to contribute an amount of money, at a price per vehicle mile traveled, as determined by the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, to the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund for the purposes of the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program, as provided. The bill would require the office, on or before July 1, 2029, and at least once every 3 years thereafter, to update the price per vehicle mile traveled based on specified factors. The bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the contributions to be available to the department to fund developments located in the same region, as defined, with preference given to specified projects. The bill would require the department to, for each award, confirm the estimated reduction in vehicle miles traveled, as provided, and would require the department to post specified information on its internet website.
Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation and requires the department to improve and maintain the state highways. This bill would establish the Quick-Build Pilot Program to expedite development and implementation of low-cost improvements on the state highway system, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2027, to develop and publish guidance for the deployment of district quick-build improvements. The bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2028, to identify and commit to funding a minimum of 6 quick-build improvements statewide.
Existing law establishes the state transportation improvement program (STIP) process, pursuant to which the California Transportation Commission programs, on a biennial basis, available state and federal funds for transportation capital improvement projects, other than state highway rehabilitation and repair projects, for the 5-year period of the STIP, based on the interregional transportation improvement program (ITIP) prepared by the Department of Transportation and the regional transportation improvement programs (RTIP) prepared by regional transportation planning agencies. Existing law requires projects included in the ITIP to be consistent with the interregional transportation strategic plan (ITSP) . Existing law requires the department to submit the ITSP to the commission for approval and requires the ITSP, among other things, to be directed at achieving a high functioning and balanced interregional transportation system and consistent with the California Transportation Plan. This bill would require, to the extent feasible and consistent with the California Transportation Plan, the department to assess incorporating bicycle highways into strategic interregional corridors within the ITSP.
Existing law authorizes local authorities, for those highways under their jurisdiction, to adopt rules and regulations by ordinance or resolution, on various matters, including regulating traffic by means of specified official traffic control devices and prohibiting the use of particular highways by certain vehicles. Existing law authorizes specified proposed ordinances or resolutions to be effective as to any state highway or part thereof if the proposed ordinance or resolution is submitted to the Department of Transportation for approval prior to the enactment, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Transportation, when reviewing and approving or rejecting an ordinance or resolution that has been submitted to the department for approval by a local authority, to consider the costs of the proposed ordinance or resolution compared to any possible alternative solution to the issue that the proposed ordinance or resolution is addressing and to provide written reasons and justifications for a rejection.
Existing law, the Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) program, makes it unlawful for a motor carrier to operate specified vehicles, such as motortrucks of 3 or more axles that are more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, truck tractors, or other motortrucks regulated by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Public Utilities Commission, or the United States Secretary of Transportation, without identifying to the Department of Motor Vehicles all terminals, as defined, where the vehicle may be inspected by the department and where vehicle inspection and maintenance records and driver records will be made available for inspection. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, excludes an agricultural vehicle, as defined, from being subject to the BIT program. This bill would extend the exemption of agricultural vehicles from the BIT program until January 1, 2031. Under existing law, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, in consultation with the Department of Motor Vehicles, on or before January 1, 2022, shall report to the Governor and the Legislature about the impact of excluding an agricultural vehicle, as defined, from being subject to the BIT program. The report shall include, but is not limited to, information about collisions involving excluded vehicles and any traffic safety issues associated with excluded vehicles. The report shall be submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code. This bill would delete this obsolete provision.
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.
