BILL NUMBER: AB 1219CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 143 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 6, 2009 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 5, 2009 PASSED THE SENATE JULY 16, 2009 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 11, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Evans (Coauthor: Assembly Member Yamada) (Coauthors: Senators Wiggins and Wolk) FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to amend Section 99313.6 of, and to add Section 99233.12 to, the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1219, Evans. Public transportation: Solano Transportation Authority. The Transportation Development Act, also known as the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act, provides for the allocation of local transportation funds in each county from 1/4 of 1% of the sales tax to various transportation purposes, including transportation planning, transit operations, and in some cases, local streets and roads. The act is administered by the transportation planning agency having jurisdiction and specifies the sequence of allocations to be made by that agency to eligible claimants. This bill would authorize the Solano Transportation Authority, a joint powers agency, to file a claim with the transportation planning agency for up to 2% of local transportation funds available to the county and city members of the authority for countywide transit planning and coordination relative to Solano County. Existing law creates the State Transit Assistance program as one of the transit programs funded by the Public Transportation Account from certain fuel sales tax revenues. Under the program, available funds are apportioned by the Controller to transportation planning agencies for allocation to transit operators and for other related purposes within the agency's jurisdiction. Apportionments are made under 2 different formulas, one based on population and the other based on operator revenue. This bill would specifically provide for the Solano Transportation Authority to be an eligible claimant for State Transit Assistance funds apportioned under the population formula, to be used for public transportation purposes, including countywide transit planning and coordination relative to Solano County. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 99233.12 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 99233.12. Notwithstanding anything in Sections 99233 to 99233.9, inclusive, to the contrary, the Solano Transportation Authority may file a claim, and the transportation planning agency may allocate, for the area representing the cumulative areas of the authority's member agencies, up to 2 percent of annual revenues for countywide transit planning and coordination purposes relative to Solano County. Funds allocated to the authority pursuant to this section shall be allocated after allocations are made pursuant to Sections 99233.1 and 99233.2 but prior to other allocations. SEC. 2. Section 99313.6 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 99313.6. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, shall create a state transit assistance fund and deposit therein the funds allocated to it pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 for allocations to operators, and to claimants for the purposes specified in Section 99275 and in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e) of Section 99400, within the area on which its allocation was determined. (b) From funds allocated to it pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority may allocate funds to itself for the planning, design, and construction of an exclusive public mass transit guideway system. (c) An allocation of funds from a state transit assistance fund for a transit capital project may be used for the payment of the principal of, and interest on, equipment trust certificates, bonded or other indebtedness, or in accomplishment of a defeasance of any outstanding revenue bond indenture issued for that project. (d) From funds allocated to it pursuant to Section 99313, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission may allocate funds to itself for projects to achieve regional transit coordination objectives. (e) From funds allocated to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission pursuant to Section 99313, upon a request of the Solano Transportation Authority, the commission may allocate an amount of funds to the authority for public transportation purposes, including countywide transit planning and coordination relative to Solano County.