California Assembly Bill AB595 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 595INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Norby FEBRUARY 16, 2011 An act to amend Section 101 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to highways. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 595, as introduced, Norby. State highways: naming and designation by the Legislature. Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation shall have full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law, when the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, has designated names for certain districts and state highway bridges and requested the placement of name plaques, authorizes the department to expend reasonable sums on those plaques. This bill would revise the existing provisions to also apply to designation of other transportation facilities owned and operated by the department, and would authorize the department to expend reasonable sums on plaques or signs for designated districts, highways, highway bridges, or other facilities only upon receipt of nonstate funds sufficient to cover the cost. This bill, notwithstanding these provisions, would, for calendar years 2012 and 2013, provide that no highways, bridges, or other transportation facilities owned and operated by the department or districts through which a state highway passes shall be named or otherwise designated by the Legislature, and no plaques or signs shall be erected by the department to reflect the naming or designation of a highway, bridge, other transportation facility, or district during those calendar years. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 101 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read: 101. (a) The department shall keep in repair all objects or markers adjacent to a state highway  which   that  have been erected to mark registered historical places and shall keep  such   those  markers free from vegetation  which   that  may obscure them from view. (b) When the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, has designated names for certain districts  and   or  state  highways,  highway bridges,  or other transportation facilities owned and operated by the department  and requested the placing of name plaques  or signs  at the boundaries of the districts or on the  highways,  bridges,  or other transportation facilities,  the department is authorized to expend reasonable sums for  such   those  plaques  or signs upon receipt of nonstate funds sufficient to cover the cost  . (c) Any major bridge not previously named by the Legislature may be named by the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, for a serviceman killed in action who was a resident of the county in which the bridge is located. The name shall be selected from names submitted to the department by veterans' associations as defined by Section 1260 of the Military and Veterans Code.  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for calendar years 2012 and 2013, no highways, bridges, or other transportation facilities owned and operated by the department or districts through which a state highway passes shall be named or otherwise designated by the Legislature, and no plaques or signs shall be erected in that regard by the department to reflect the naming or designation of a highway, bridge, other transportation facility, or district during those calendar years. This subdivision does not prohibit replacement of a sign that is damaged or destroyed that relates to a naming or designation of a highway, bridge, other transportation facility, or district where the naming or designation occurred prior to January 1, 2012. This subdivision also does not preclude the department from posting state highway route number signs, directional signs, and other signs other than those to which this subdivision specifically applies.