BILL NUMBER: AB 2222 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Holden
FEBRUARY 18, 2016
An act to amend Section 39719 of the Health and Safety Code and to
add Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) to Division 44 of the
Public Resources Code, relating to greenhouse gases, and making an
appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2222, as introduced, Holden. Transit passes.
Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties,
collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale
of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism relative
to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to be deposited in the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates
10% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the Transit and Intercity
Rail Capital Program and 5% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the
Low Carbon Transit Operations Program.
This bill would continuously appropriate $50,000,000 annually from
the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for the Transit Pass Program, to
be administered by the Department of Transportation. The bill would
provide for moneys made available for the program to be allocated by
the Controller, as directed by the department, to support transit
pass programs of public agencies that provide free or reduced-fare
transit passes to public school students and community college,
California State University, and University of California students.
The bill would require the Department of Transportation, in
coordination with the State Air Resources Board, to develop
guidelines that describe the methodologies that recipient public
agencies would use to demonstrate that the proposed expenditures will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would require at least 50
percent of the moneys allocated under the Transit Pass Program to
benefit disadvantaged communities, as specified.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Student transit pass programs have been shown to increase
overall transit ridership and fill empty seats on trains and buses,
resulting in reduced costs per rider and improved service because of
higher demand.
(b) Targeting student transit passes to middle school, high
school, college, and university students can promote the development
of lifelong transit riders and further bolster the capacity and
reliability of our transit systems.
(c) Student transit pass programs in this state and across the
country have resulted in significant increases in transit ridership
and have made it easier and cheaper for students to get to schools
and to jobs.
(d) Student transit pass programs can help the state reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, petroleum use, and
air pollution, and improve overall community health.
(e) Student transit passes lower pollution around elementary
schools, thereby improving student health.
(f) Schools are often the major generators of traffic in cities,
and student transit pass programs can help reduce the traffic and
parking problems in neighborhoods around schools.
(g) Student transit pass programs can reduce the need for colleges
to use campus land for expensive parking structures when this land
and money could be better used for educational purposes.
(h) Student transit pass programs have decreased the need to drive
to and from school, along with the costs associated with driving to
and from school, thereby reducing the overall cost of school
attendance and reducing parental burdens for working families.
(i) A University of California, Los Angeles, study of 35 college
and university student transit pass programs across the United States
in 2001 showed ridership increases of 71 to 200 percent after the
implementation of these programs.
SEC. 2. Section 39719 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
39719. (a) The Legislature shall appropriate the annual proceeds
of the fund for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in
this state in accordance with the requirements of Section 39712.
(b) To carry out a portion of the requirements of subdivision (a),
annual proceeds are continuously appropriated for the following:
(1) Beginning in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and notwithstanding
Section 13340 of the Government Code, 35 percent of annual proceeds
are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, for
transit, affordable housing, and sustainable communities programs as
following:
(A) Ten percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby
continuously appropriated to the Transportation Agency for the
Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program created by Part 2
(commencing with Section 75220) of Division 44 of the Public
Resources Code.
(B) Five percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby
continuously appropriated to the Low Carbon Transit Operations
Program created by Part 3 (commencing with Section 75230) of Division
44 of the Public Resources Code. Funds shall be allocated by the
Controller, according to requirements of the program, and pursuant to
the distribution formula in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 99312
of, and Sections 99313 and 99314 of, the Public Utilities Code.
(C) Twenty percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby
continuously appropriated to the Strategic Growth Council for the
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program created by
Part 1 (commencing with Section 75200) of Division 44 of the Public
Resources Code. Of the amount appropriated in this subparagraph, no
less than 10 percent of the annual proceeds, shall be expended for
affordable housing, consistent with the provisions of that program.
(2) Beginning in the 2015-16 fiscal year, notwithstanding Section
13340 of the Government Code, 25 percent of the annual proceeds of
the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the High-Speed Rail
Authority for the following components of the initial operating
segment and Phase I Blended System as described in the 2012 business
plan adopted pursuant to Section 185033 of the Public Utilities Code:
(A) Acquisition and construction costs of the project.
(B) Environmental review and design costs of the project.
(C) Other capital costs of the project.
(D) Repayment of any loans made to the authority to fund the
project.
(3) Beginning in the 2016-17 fiscal year, fifty million dollars
($50,000,000) annually from the proceeds of the fund is hereby
continuously appropriated to the Transit Pass Program created
pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) of Division 44 of
the Public Resources Code.
(c) In determining the amount of annual proceeds of the fund for
purposes of the calculation in subdivision (b), the funds subject to
Section 39719.1 shall not be included.
SEC. 3. Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added to
Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
PART 4. Transit Pass Program
75240. The Transit Pass Program is hereby created, to be
administered by the Department of Transportation. Moneys made
available for the program shall be allocated by the Controller, as
directed by the department, to support transit pass programs that
provide free or reduced-fare transit passes to public school students
and community college, California State University, and University
of California students.
75241. An eligible applicant under the program shall be a public
agency, including, but not limited to, a transit operator, school
district, community college district, the California State
University, the University of California, or a city or county.
75242. The Department of Transportation, in coordination with the
State Air Resources Board, shall develop guidelines that describe
the methodologies that recipient public agencies shall use to
demonstrate that the proposed expenditures will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
Division 3 of the Government Code does not apply to the development
of guidelines for the program pursuant to this part.
75243. At least 50 percent of the moneys allocated pursuant to
this part shall benefit disadvantaged communities consistent with the
guidance provided by the State Air Resources Board pursuant to
Section 39715 of the Health and Safety Code.