California Senate Bill SB1225 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1225INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Padilla FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act to amend Sections 14070 and 14070.2 of the Government Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1225, as introduced, Padilla. Intercity rail agreements. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to contract with Amtrak for intercity rail passenger services and provides funding for these services from the Public Transportation Account. Existing law, until December 31, 1996, authorized the department, subject to approval of the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, to enter into an interagency transfer agreement under which a joint powers board assumes responsibility for administering the state-funded intercity rail service in a particular corridor. Existing law, with respect to a transferred corridor, requires the board to demonstrate the ability to meet performance standards established by the secretary. This bill, until December 31, 2013, would authorize the department and a joint powers board established for the purpose of assuming responsibility for the Pacific Surfliner intercity rail corridor to enter into an agreement under similar terms and conditions. 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 14070 of the Government Code is amended to read: 14070. As used in this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a)  (1)    "Board" or "joint powers board" means the governing board of a joint exercise of powers agency established pursuant to Article 5.2 (commencing with Section 14072), Article 5.4 (commencing with Section 14074), or Article 5.6 (commencing with Section 14076) for the purpose of assuming administrative responsibility for intercity passenger rail service within the respective corridor.  (2) "Board" or "joint powers board" also means the governing board of a joint exercise of powers agency established for the purpose of assuming administrative responsibility for intercity passenger rail service within the Pacific Surfliner corridor.  (b) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency  or successor agency  . SEC. 2. Section 14070.2 of the Government Code is amended to read: 14070.2. (a) If authorized by the secretary, the department may, through an interagency agreement, transfer to a joint powers board, and the board may assume, all responsibility for administering passenger rail service in  the   a  corridor. Upon the date specified in the agreement, the board shall succeed to the department's powers and duties relative to that service, except that the department shall retain responsibility for developing budget requests for the service through the state budget process, which shall be developed in consultation with the board, and for coordinating service in the corridor with other passenger rail services in the state. (b)  The   (1)     Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), the  interagency agreement shall be executed on or before December 31, 1996.  (2) With respect to the Pacific Surfliner corridor, the interagency agreement shall be executed on or before December 31, 2013.  (c) The secretary shall require the board to demonstrate the ability to meet the performance standards established by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 14031.8.