Section 182.8 Of Article 5. Funds For Highway And Public Mass Transit Guideway Purposes From California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 1. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 5.
182.8
. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that this program
help increase flexibility in the use of state and federal funding to
complete transportation improvements. The ability to exchange certain
federal funds for state funds may enhance that flexibility. However,
it is the intent of the Legislature that the commission make these
exchanges only if the exchanges do not compromise other state funded
projects or activities.
(b) The commission shall propose guidelines and procedures to
implement this section, hold a public hearing on the guidelines, and
adopt the guidelines on or before February 1, 2001. The commission
shall begin the exchange program on or before February 1, 2001, if it
determines that funding is available for that purpose. The
commission may amend its guidelines after holding a public hearing,
but may not amend the guidelines between the time it notifies
regional transportation planning agencies of the amount of state
funds available for exchange and its approval of projects for
exchange in any given year.
(c) On or before January 5 of each year, the department shall
report to the commission the amounts apportioned as federal local
assistance in the regional surface transportation and congestion
mitigation and air quality programs for the year, the Federal
Obligation Authority for the year, and the amount of federal funds it
expects to be able to obligate for work on projects in all programs
on or before September 30 of that year, and the commission, in
cooperation with the department, shall determine the amount of state
funds from the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund that can be made
available for exchange under this section. If the release of federal
apportionments and obligational authority is delayed beyond November
1 in any year, all the dates specified in this section shall be
extended by an equivalent time, however, all federal funds exchanged
shall be obligated on or before September 30 of the current federal
fiscal year.
(d) The commission may exchange funds under this section if it
determines all of the following:
(1) Adequate state funds are available to accomplish the exchange
without putting at risk other transportation activities or projects
needing state funds.
(2) Any exchange will be consistent with full implementation of
the Traffic Congestion Relief Act of 2000.
(3) Federal funds received in exchange can be readily and
effectively used on other projects or activities by the state during
the federal fiscal year.
(e) After making the determinations set forth in subdivision (d)
the commission may offer to exchange state funds from the Traffic
Congestion Relief Fund for federal local assistance funds, subject to
the limits imposed under this section. For the purpose of this
section, "federal local assistance" funds means regional surface
transportation program or congestion mitigation and air quality
program apportionments received that federal fiscal year and
apportioned as local assistance pursuant to Sections 182.6 and 182.7.
(f) Not later than February 1 of each year, the commission shall
notify the regional transportation planning agencies of the amount of
state funds available for exchange for federal local assistance
funds for that year. The maximum amount of state funds to be
exchanged may not exceed 50 percent of the total amount of federal
regional surface transportation program and congestion mitigation and
air quality program funds apportioned for the current fiscal year as
local assistance pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 182.6 and
subdivision (b) of Section 182.7, exclusive of state funds that may
be exchanged pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 182.6, paragraphs
(1) and (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 182.6, or Section 182.7.
Federal funds exchanged under this program shall be available for
projects identified by the commission as ready to obligate during
determination of the amount available for exchange. The amount of
exchange may not exceed the department's ability to obligate all
federal funds during the current federal fiscal year. The commission
may not exchange state funds for regional surface transportation
program funds required to be spent for transportation enhancements.
This section does not affect the amount of exchange under subdivision
(g) of Sections 182.6, or paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (h)
of Section 182.6.
(g) Regional transportation planning agencies may submit
applications for exchange of funds to the commission not later than
March 15 of each year. Applications shall identify the proposed use
for the exchange funds, including project descriptions, cost
estimates, scopes of work, schedules for construction, schedules for
expenditures, and any other information required by the commission.
The commission may require a region to identify priorities among
applications it submits.
(h) If the commission receives applications for more exchange
funds than the amount of state funds available, the commission shall
select projects for exchange up to the amount of state funds
available. The commission shall explain the criteria it uses to
select projects, which shall include, but are not limited to, all of
the following:
(1) Removal of all federal funds from projects.
(2) Assessment of projects that would benefit most from removal of
federal funding because of size, type, location, agency capability,
features, or federal requirements.
(3) Approximate relative equity within the program among regions
in receiving state exchange funds over a multiyear period.
(i) The commission may exchange state funds for federal local
assistance funds with agencies requesting exchanges. Agencies wishing
to exchange their federal funds shall provide apportionments and
obligation authority at the same rate the Federal Highway
Administration distributes obligation authority. Agencies exchanging
federal funds shall receive funds equal to 90 percent of the
obligation authority exchanged. The commission shall approve
exchanges of funds not later than its second regularly scheduled
meeting following March 15 each year.
(j) The commission shall determine an exchange payment schedule
based on expenditure plans. The commission may suspend exchange
payment schedules if it determines projects are not proceeding.
(k) For financial display and reporting purposes, obligational
authority received pursuant to this section shall be reported as a
revenue accrual in the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund in the year in
which the exchange is approved under subdivision (i). Funds approved
for exchange shall be accrued as expenditures in the year in which
the exchange is approved. Notwithstanding Section 16362 of the
Government Code, the department shall repay from the State Highway
Account to the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund all funds received as
federal reimbursements for funds exchanged under this section as they
are received from the Federal Highway Administration, except that
those repayments are not required to be made more frequently than on
a quarterly basis.
(l) State funds provided through an exchange under this section
shall be encumbered within one year and expended within three years.
(m) Upon adoption of its implementing guidelines, the commission
may consider requests for exchanges under this section.
(n) Regional and local agencies shall use state exchange funds
only for projects or purposes for which the federal local assistance
funds being exchanged were originally intended, and may not supplant
local funds on projects in order that those local funds can
subsequently be used for nontransportation purposes. The commission
may require agencies to certify that they are meeting this
requirement. Agencies not meeting this maintenance of effort
requirement may not be allowed to participate in the next exchange
cycle.
(o) Not later than the effective date of the reauthorization of
the federal surface transportation act, the commission shall submit a
report to the Governor and the Legislature recommending any changes
in the exchange program necessitated by that reauthorization.