Existing law provides for the creation of the Southern California Rapid Transit District in and around the County of Los Angeles, with specified powers and duties relative to providing public transit service. Existing law requires an ordinance passed by the board of directors of the district to be published once within 15 days after passage in a newspaper of general circulation printed and published in the district. imposes various requirements on transit districts relating to the passage of ordinances.

This bill would authorize the district to print and publish an ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation more than once within 15 days after passage. The bill would require the district to also make an ordinance available online on appropriate Internet Web sites within 15 days after passage. would, in addition to any other requirements, require a transit district to publish an ordinance on its Internet Web site, or the otherwise appropriate Internet Web site, within 15 days after the ordinances passage and in a manner that is accessible and easily navigable. By requiring a local agency to perform an additional duty, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law provides for the creation of the Southern California Rapid Transit District in and around the County of Los Angeles, with specified powers and duties relative to providing public transit service. Existing law requires an ordinance passed by the board of directors of the district to be published once within 15 days after passage in a newspaper of general circulation printed and published in the district.

This bill would authorize the district to print and publish an ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation more than once within 15 days after passage. The bill would require the district to also make an ordinance available online on appropriate Internet Web sites within 15 days after passage. By requiring a local agency to perform an additional duty, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SB 137

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 13-0, 4/25/17

AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Atkins, Bates, Gaines, McGuire, Mendoza, Morrell, Roth, Skinner, Wieckowski, Wiener

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires a transit district, in addition to any other requirements, to publish an ordinance on its Internet Web site, or the otherwise appropriate Internet Web site, within 15 days after the ordinance’s passage and in a manner that is accessible and easily navigable.

ANALYSIS: Existing law imposes various requirements on transit districts relating to the passage of ordinances.

This bill requires a transit district, in addition to any other requirements, to publish an ordinance on its Internet Web site, or the otherwise appropriate Internet Web site, within 15 days after the ordinance’s passage and in a manner that is accessible and easily navigable.

Comments

1. Purpose of the bill. According to the author, this bill modernizes the law to increase availability and provide more prominent access to ordinances passed by transit districts.
2. Greater public access. While some transit districts appear to have some of their ordinances online, finding them on their Web site is difficult, and many documents appear to be out of date (the most recent was from 2012). Others do not appear to provide this information on their Web sites. This bill requires a transit district, in addition to any other requirements, to publish an ordinance on its Internet Web site, or the otherwise appropriate Internet Web site, within 15 days after the ordinance’s passage and in a manner that is accessible and easily navigable.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

SUPPORT: (Verified 5/15/17)

None received

OPPOSITION: (Verified 5/15/17)

None received

Prepared by:

5/17/17 9:53:33

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING

Senator Jim Beall, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: SB 137 Hearing Date: 4/25/2017

SUBJECT: Transit districts: ordinances.

DIGEST: This bill requires any ordinance passed by the Southern California Rapid Transit District to be published on their web site within 15 days after passage.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Creates the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) in and around the County of Los Angeles, with specified powers and duties relative to providing public transit service.
2. Requires an ordinance passed by the board of directors of the district to be published once within 15 days after passage in a newspaper of general circulation printed and published in the district.

This bill requires an ordinance to also be made available online on appropriate Internet Web sites within 15 days after passage.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose of the bill. According to the author, “this bill modernizes the law to increase availability and provide more prominent access to ordinances passed by the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.”
2. Background of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA). LACMTA is the public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission. It is chartered under state law as a regional transportation planning agency. Metro directly operates bus, light rail, heavy rail, and bus rapid transit services. It provides funding and directs planning for commuter rail and freeway/expressway projects within Los Angeles County.

The agency develops and oversees transportation plans, policies, funding programs, and both short-term and long-range solutions that address the county's increasing mobility, accessibility, and environmental needs. The agency is also the primary transit provider for the City of Los Angeles providing the bulk of such services while the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation operates a much smaller system of its own Commuter Express bus service to outlying suburbs in the city of Los Angeles and the Downtown Area Short Hop (DASH), mini-bus service in downtown and other neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles.

1. Greater public access. Metro does appear to have at least some of its ordinances online, though finding this on their website was difficult, and these documents appear to be out of date (the most recent was from 2012). The committee reviewed the web sites of other transit districts and either was unable to locate any ordinances or similarly had difficulty locating them. The author has agreed to expand this bill to require all transit districts with authority to pass ordinances to publish on their web sites within 15 days after passage in a manner that is accessible and easily navigable.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday,

April 19, 2017.)

SUPPORT:

None received.

OPPOSITION:

None received.

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