California Senate Bill SB486 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 486AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 3, 2013 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Senator DeSaulnier (Coauthor: Senator Liu) FEBRUARY 21, 2013  An act to add Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 13985) to Part 4.5 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to transportation.   An act to add Section 98   to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 486, as amended, DeSaulnier.  Office of Strategic Assessment and Accountability.   Department of Transportation: performance measurement benchmarks.  Existing law establishes the Transportation Agency in state government with various duties and responsibilities.  This bill would create, within the agency, the Office of Strategic Assessment and Accountability, under the direction of the Deputy Secretary for Strategic Assessment and Accountability, which would be responsible for ensuring the ongoing performance measurement, transparency, and public accountability of the Department of Transportation.   This bill would require the Secretary of the Transportation Agency, in consultation with the Director of Transportation, to identify+ performance measurement benchmarks on which the department would be required to report in specified areas, including, among others, enhancement of public safety and environmental sustainability.  The bill would require the  office   department  to issue reports measuring the department's success in meeting  these  performance benchmarks  identified by the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Director of Transportation,  and to compile and make these reports publicly available, including on the Internet Web site of the  agency   Transportation Agency  . The bill would require the secretary  or his or her designee  , on or before July 1, 2014, and not less than quarterly thereafter, to report to the California Transportation Commission on the department's performance. 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. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The Department of Transportation, the largest entity of its kind in the nation, is responsible for maintaining a complex transportation system, including more than 50,000 state highway lane miles, 12,600 bridges, and thousands of related facilities. (2) The department faces significant challenges in maintaining this infrastructure, much of which is aging and in need of repair or rehabilitation. (3) In order for the department to effectively accomplish this mission and to meet its strategic goals of improved safety, enhanced mobility, efficient project delivery, effective stewardship, and quality services, it must establish public trust, which requires increased transparency, clear accountability, and effective performance measurement. (b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to establish an office within the Transportation Agency to assist the department in identifying or developing performance measurements that will effectively assess the department's progress toward its strategic goals, and to ensure that this information is provided clearly and transparently to the public on a regular basis.  SEC. 2.   Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 13985) is added to Part 4.5 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read: CHAPTER 1.5. OFFICE OF STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 13985. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) "Agency" means the Transportation Agency. (b) "Commission" means the California Transportation Commission. (c) "Department" means the Department of Transportation. (d) "Director" means the Director of Transportation. (e) "Office" means the Office of Strategic Assessment and Accountability. (f) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Transportation Agency. 13985.1. (a) There is hereby created, within the agency, the Office of Strategic Assessment and Accountability, which shall be responsible for ensuring the ongoing performance measurement, transparency, and public accountability of the department. The office shall be directed by the Deputy Secretary for Strategic Assessment and Accountability, who shall report to the secretary. (b) The secretary, in consultation with the director, shall identify the performance measurement benchmarks on which the office shall report in the following areas: (1) Enhancement of public safety. (2) System preservation and rehabilitation. (3) Efficiency and cost-effectiveness of project delivery. (c) The office shall issue reports that measure the department's success in meeting, at a minimum, the performance measurement benchmarks identified pursuant to subdivision (b). The office shall compile and make publicly available, including on the Internet Web site of the agency, the reports issued during each three-month reporting period. (d) On or before July 1, 2014, and not less than quarterly thereafter, the secretary shall report to the commission on the department's performance, based on the reports made by the office pursuant to this section.   SEC. 2.   Section 98 is added to the   Streets and Highways Code   , to read:   98. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) "Agency" means the Transportation Agency. (2) "Commission" means the California Transportation Commission. (3) "Department" means the Department of Transportation. (4) "Director" means the Director of Transportation. (5) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation. (b) The secretary, in consultation with the director, shall identify performance measurement benchmarks on which the department shall report in the following areas: (1) Enhancement of public safety. (2) System preservation and rehabilitation. (3) Efficiency and cost-effectiveness of project delivery. (4) Environmental sustainability. (c) The department shall issue reports that measure the department' s success in meeting, at a minimum, the performance measurement benchmarks identified pursuant to subdivision (b). The department shall compile and make publicly available, including on the Internet Web site of the agency, the reports issued during each three-month reporting period. (d) On or before July 1, 2014, and not less than quarterly thereafter, the secretary or his or her designee shall report to the commission on the department's performance, based on the reports made by the department pursuant to this section.