A Look Back at the 2024 Legislative Session

In spite of the budget back-and-forth on billions in transit funding, the Association made its voice heard this session by securing funds and helping send critical legislation to the Governor's Desk.

By Arianna Smith
Managing Editor
Transit California

Every year the Association leads a robust state legislative program, and 2024 has proven to be no different.

At the end of August, after having introduced nearly 5,000 bills over the course of the two-year 2023-24 session, the California State Legislature concluded its regular legislative business. California Governor Gavin Newsom has until midnight on Monday, September 30 to make decisions on whether to sign or veto the hundreds of bills that the Legislature sent to his desk. While the Governor has already acted on most items, the fates of a few bills may remain in question until the final hours.

The Association's state legislative work has gone far beyond sponsored legislation: From proposing and shepherding key policies in the budget, to engaging with lawmakers on priority bills, to making the stated goals of previously passed legislation a reality, the Association team - its leadership, its committees, its advocacy staff, and its regular members - is closing out another strong year of setting transit policy.

The Association's 2024 Priority Policies

This year, much of the Association advocacy work centered on preserving the $5.1 billion in transit funding in the state budget after the Governor implemented a spending freeze on much-needed transit funds that had been committed through SB 125 in 2023. The delays and confusion resulted in many months of concern amongst transit agencies, but fortunately the Association was ultimately successful in its efforts to end the spending freeze and ensure that the Administration would begin distributing the promised funds.

The Association's primary sponsored bill, Assembly Bill 1904, authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) and co-sponsored with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, passed the legislature with bipartisan support and was signed by the Governor on September 25. The measure allows transit agencies to equip their buses with an important through safety feature: flashing LED yield right-of-way signs or static decal yield signs. In doing so, this bill will make it safer for transit bus operators to merge into traffic after making stops, thus reducing service delays and improving traffic safety.

The Association also co-sponsored legislation that was introduced, but did not move forward. Assembly Bill 2824, introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and co-sponsored by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, Sacramento Regional Transit District, California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and Transit Workers Union, was intended to include language to authorize transit agencies statewide to issue prohibition orders, a proposal put forth by the Association's Transit Operator and Rider Safety Subcommittee as a critical mechanism to protect transit workers and riders from assault and battery. While the bill did not make it to its first committee hearing, the policy proposal itself remains alive: the Association has included the policy as a priority in its ongoing engagement with the Transit Transformation Task Force (Task Force), with the goal of reintroducing it as soon as next year. 

Speaking of which: Association members and staff are an outsize influence on the Task Force, which was established in 2023 as part of the state budget deal to secure a viable vision for the future of California transit. Throughout 2024, 12 Association members and staffers have been serving on the 25-member Task Force, providing expertise and recommendations. While Task Force work started out slow and aspirational, the summer meetings were more productive and pragmatic. Two meetings remain in 2024 before report drafting and reviewing begins in 2025; the Association's overarching goal is to ensure that the diverse concerns of, and creative solutions proposed by, Association membership will be included in the final 2025 recommendations. Association members who wish to propose recommendations to the Association's internal Transit Transformation Advisory Committee should contact Executive Director Michael Pimentel.

Other Bills: Where are They Now?

Beyond its budget actions and sponsored legislation, the Association weighed in on a variety of legislative proposals. To see a full list of all legislation the Association has reviewed at any time during the year, see the Legislation of Interest webpage.

Hydrogen Production Facilities

The Association supported SB 1420 (Caballero), which allows hydrogen production facilities, onsite storage facilities, and processing facilities to be eligible for centralized permitting and expedited review under CEQA. The measure has been signed by the Governor.

Transit Priority

After much engagement with the bill author, the Administration, and stakeholders, the Association and many member agencies offered support for Senate Bill 960 (Wiener). In its final form, the bill requires Caltrans to develop and adopt transit priority policy and guidelines, commit to 4-year targets to incorporate complete streets facilities in the state highway operation and protection program (SHOPP), and include complete streets assets in several management plans and reports. The measure passed in the final days of the legislative session and has recently been signed by the Governor.

Public Paratransit Cost Burdens

The Association supported AB 2043 (Boerner), which would have required the Department of Health Care Services to ensure that the financial burden of nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) or nonmedical transportation (NMT) would not be unfairly placed on public paratransit operators. While the bill enjoyed strong bipartisan support, unfortunately, the bill was "held on suspense" in the Senate Appropriations Committee and did not move forward.

Vehicle Equipment Requirements and Safety

AB 2719 (Wilson), which the Association supported but which was "held on suspense" in a fiscal committee, was intended to cut down on transit delays and protect transit vehicle riders and operators. The measure authorized the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to issue a sticker to public transit agencies for vehicles inspected and certified by CHP that year, and it would have allowed those vehicles to bypass CHP inspections for that year. SB 961 (Wiener), on which the Association held a "concerns" position, was vetoed by the Governor. The measure would have required new vehicles, beginning in 2030, to be equipped with a passive intelligent speed assistance system that would alert the driver if they exceed 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. 

Transition to Zero Emissions

The Governor vetoed AB 2601 (Wilson), strongly supported by the Association and several member agencies, which enacts a General Fund-only sales and use tax exemption for zero-emission public transportation ferries purchased between 2025 and 2030. The Association also supported AB 2503 (Lee), which would expand California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions for train electrification transit projects within an existing rail or highway right-of-way. It passed with bipartisan votes and was signed by the Governor.

Public Employment Issues

The Association opposed several measures related to public employees. SB 1116 (Portantino) failed passage in the Assembly Insurance Committee after a similar bill was vetoed by the Governor in 2023; it would have allowed individuals involved in a trade dispute to collect unemployment insurance benefits. The Association also opposed AB 2561 (McKinnor), which will require that local public agencies present the status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts during a public hearing before the governing board at least once per fiscal year, was signed into law by the Governor on September 22.

All measures that are signed into law by the Governor will take effect on January 1, 2025, unless otherwise specified in the bill text.

Special Session on Gas Prices: AYE or NO?

At the end of the regular legislative session on August 31, the Governor called for a special legislative session to address gas price hikes where only legislation that may be introduced and considered for a vote must be related to the session topic. In late September, the California State Assembly began to hold hearings on the issue and passed ABX2-1 (Hart).The measure is an amended version of the Governor's proposal to require oil refiners to store more fuel than they currently do with the goal of lowering gasoline prices.

Initially, State Senate leaders stated have maintained that would not convene a special session. The State Constitution gives the Governor the authority to call a special session, but it does not specify what happens if lawmakers do not convene; ultimately, the Senate relented and has agreed to convene on October 11. Association staff are currently monitoring both the policy and constitutional discussions and will update membership with any news relevant to the transit industry.

Looking Ahead

During late September, Association advocacy staff and committee leadership made the annual trip to Washington, D.C. for Federal Lobby Day. Members met with congressional representatives, Administration officials, and staff on a variety of federal issues that affect California's transit agencies and industry, particularly with regard to the most recent court rulings and actions on how California's public employee retirement benefit law affects the way federal grant applications are processed. Watch for Transit California's next issue and the Association's weekly Executive Director's Report for more detailed updates on the visit.

In early December 2024, the Legislature will swear in its newly elected Senators and Assemblymembers for the first year of the 2025-26 session. Legislators will introduce new legislation between December and mid-February. During that time, Association advocacy staff and committees will monitor newly introduced bills. They will also work to secure legislators to serve as authors for bills in the Association's sponsored legislative package.

Are you interested in getting involved? Throughout fall 2024 and into early 2025, the State Legislative Committee and Federal Legislative Committee will review policy proposals from other Association committees and membership, help determine the Association's annual sponsored legislative package, and articulate plans for 2025-26 budgetary actions. For Association members who are considering submitting a legislative or state budget proposal for consideration, now is the best time to do so! Contact Association staff for more information about what to include in a proposal.

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