California 2011 2011-2012 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill AB1770 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 08/22/2012

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1770ENROLLED BILL TEXT PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 20, 2012 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 3, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal FEBRUARY 17, 2012 An act to amend Section 64102 of the Government Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1770, Bonnie Lowenthal. California Transportation Financing Authority. Existing law creates the California Transportation Financing Authority, with specified powers and duties relative to issuance of bonds to fund transportation projects to be backed, in whole or in part, by various revenue streams of transportation funds, and toll revenues under certain conditions, in order to increase the construction of new capacity or improvements for the state transportation system consistent with specified goals. Existing law defines "project" for these purposes to include, among other things, a rail project. This bill would provide that a rail project may consist of, or include, rolling stock. Existing law requires a project undertaken under these provisions to be supplemental to or improve existing facilities currently owned and operated by an eligible project sponsor, as defined. This bill would instead require a project to be supplemental to or improve existing facilities currently owned or operated by the project sponsor. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 64102 of the Government Code is amended to read: 64102. As used in this division, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates or requires another or different meaning or intent: (a) "Authority" shall mean the California Transportation Financing Authority. (b) "Bonds" shall mean bonds, notes, debentures, commercial paper, or any other evidence of indebtedness, lease, installment, sale, or certificate of participation thereon, issued by the authority or a project sponsor pursuant to this division. (c) "Commission" shall mean the California Transportation Commission. (d) "Cost," as applied to a project or portion of a project financed under this division, shall mean and include all or any part of the cost of construction and acquisition of all lands, structures, real or personal property rights, rights-of-way, franchises, easements, and interests acquired or used for a project, the cost of demolishing or removing any buildings or structures on land so acquired, including the cost of acquiring any lands to which those buildings or structures may be moved, the cost of all machinery and equipment, financing charges, interest prior to, during, and for a period not to exceed the later of one year or one year following completion of construction, as determined by the authority, the cost of insurance during construction, the cost of funding or financing noncapital expenses, reserves for principal and interest and for extensions, enlargements, additions, replacements, renovations, and improvements, the cost of engineering, architectural, financial, legal, and other necessary services, plans, specifications, studies, surveys, estimates, administrative expenses, and other expenses of funding or financing, that are necessary or incident to determining the feasibility of any project, or that are incident to the construction, rehabilitation, acquisition, or financing of any project. (e) "Department" shall mean the Department of Transportation. (f) "Project" shall mean and include all or a portion of the planning, design, development, finance, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, acquisition, lease, operation, or maintenance of highway, public street, rail, bus, or related facilities supplemental to or improvements upon existing facilities currently owned or operated by the department or other project sponsor. A rail project may consist of, or include, rolling stock. (g) "Project sponsor" shall mean either the department, a regional transportation planning agency designated pursuant to Section 29532 or 29532.1, a county transportation commission as defined in Section 130050, 130050.1, or 130050.2 of the Public Utilities Code, any other local or regional transportation entity that is designated by statute as a regional transportation agency, or a joint exercise of powers authority as defined in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 or an agency designated pursuant to Section 66531 to submit the county transportation plan, with the consent of a transportation planning agency or a county transportation commission for the jurisdiction in which the transportation project will be developed. (h) "Working capital" means moneys to be used by, or on behalf of, a project sponsor to pay or prepay maintenance or operation expenses or any other costs that would be treated as an expense item, under generally accepted accounting principles, in connection with the ownership or operation of a project, including, but not limited to, reserves for maintenance or operation expenses, interest for not to exceed one year on any loan for working capital made pursuant to this division, and reserves for debt service with respect to, and any costs necessary or incidental to, that financing.