BILL NUMBER: SB 616AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 27, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 6, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 1, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Senator Wright (Coauthor: Senator Fuller) FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act relating to aviation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 616, as amended, Wright. Aeronautics Account: California Aid to Airports Program. Existing federal law authorizes airport sponsors to submit applications to the Secretary of Transportation for financial assistance for airport improvement projects. Under federal law, upon approval by the Secretary of Transportation, the United States government may pay for certain project costs. Existing law establishes the Aeronautics Account in the State Transportation Fund, and continuously appropriates the moneys in the account for expenditure by the Division of Aeronautics within the Department of Transportation and the California Transportation Commission. Existing law requires that funds in the account be paid to certain public entities owning and operating airports for projects for airport and aviation purposes, as defined, or operation and maintenance purposes, as defined. Existing law authorizes any balance remaining in the account to be used as a portion of the local match for federal Airport Improvement Program grants for certain airports. Existing law prohibits the California Transportation Commission from allocating funds until the federal grant offer is accepted by the public entity and authorizes the division, upon allocation of the funds by the commission, to pay a public entity 5% of the amount of a federal Airport Improvement Program grant. Existing regulations implement the California Aid to Airports Program, which includes airport improvement program matching grants and acquisition and development grants. These regulations prohibit payments from the account for the California Aid to Airports Program for projects that the sponsor, as defined, has already started or completed prior to allocation of airport improvement program matching or acquisition and development funds, with the exception of projects for land acquisition, as defined, and project services, as defined. This bill would, until July 1, 2015, authorize payments from the account for the California Aid to Airports Program for projects that the sponsor has started or completed in accordance with a federal Airport Improvement Program grant , unless the project was started or completed prior to January 1, 2014 . 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. Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 4059 of the California Code of Regulations, until July 1, 2015, payments from the Aeronautics Account for the California Aid to Airports Program shall be allowed for projects that the sponsor, as defined by subdivision (y) of Section 4052 of the California Code of Regulations, has started or completed in accordance with a federal Airport Improvement Program grant , unless the project was started or completed prior to January 1, 2014 .