Today's Law As Amended


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AB-1447 The Rural California Infrastructure Act.(2021-2022)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 8899.80) is added to Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:

CHAPTER  17. Rural California Infrastructure Act
8899.80.
 This chapter shall be known as the Rural California Infrastructure Act.
8899.81.
 For purposes of this chapter, the following shall apply:
(a) “Committee” means the Rural California Infrastructure Committee established in Section 8899.82
(b) “Fund” means the Rural California Infrastructure Fund established pursuant to Section 8899.84.
(c) “Local agency” means a special district, independent fire district, or county, with a population of less than 300,000 individuals according to the 2020 census data.
(d) “Rural infrastructure project” means a project in a local agency’s jurisdiction related to any of the following:
(1) Fairground maintenance.
(2) Disaster preparedness, including creating or maintaining evacuation or shelter areas for emergency evacuations.
(3) Highway or street maintenance or repair.
(4) Historic or cultural preservation or repair.
8899.82.
 (a) There is established in state government the Rural California Infrastructure Committee.
(b) The committee shall consist of seven members who shall be appointed as follows:
(1) One member appointed by the Governor.
(2) One member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(3) One member appointed by the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(4) Two members appointed by the California State Association of Counties who serve as representatives of that association. One member shall be a representative from northern California and one member shall be a representative from southern California.
(5) Two members appointed by the League of California Cities who serve as representatives of that association. One member shall be a representative from northern California and one member shall be a representative from southern California.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), each member shall serve a two-year term.
(d) The appointing power shall have the power to remove any member of the board from office for neglect of any duty required by law or for incompetency or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct.
(e) Each member shall only receive per diem and expenses as necessary to carry out their duties on the committee.
8899.83.
 (a) The committee shall establish, by July 1, 2022, an application process for local agencies to apply for grants to fund rural infrastructure projects.
(b) Beginning January 1, 2023, and every two years thereafter, the committee shall award grants to fund rural infrastructure projects to local agencies that complete the application process.
(c) The committee shall prioritize applications for projects that are considered shovel ready, as determined by the committee.
(d) Local agencies that are awarded a grant under this chapter may additionally leverage federal or private funding or private-public partnerships to complete the rural infrastructure project the grant was awarded for.
(e) The committee may adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3).
8899.84.
 (a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury the Rural California Infrastructure Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340, moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated without regard to fiscal years for purposes of this chapter.
(b) On January 1, 2022, the Controller shall transfer a sum of one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) to the Rural California Infrastructure Fund.