99310-99319
PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE
SECTION 99310-99319
99310. (a) The Transportation Planning and Development Account in the State Transportation Fund, hereafter referred to as the "account" in this article, is hereby continued in existence as the Public Transportation Account in the fund. (b) Any reference in any law or regulation to the Transportation Planning and Development Account in the State Transportation Fund is a reference to the Public Transportation Account. 99310.5. (a) The account is hereby designated a trust fund. (b) The funds in the account shall be available, when appropriated by the Legislature, only for transportation planning and mass transportation purposes, as specified by the Legislature. (c) The Legislature may amend this section by statute passed in each house of the Legislature by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, if the statute is consistent with, and furthers the purposes of, this section. 99310.6. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Finance may adjust the budgeting, accounting, and reporting system for the Public Transportation Account so that unliquidated encumbrances are not reflected in the fund balance or financial statements. 99311. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds transferred, or scheduled as a reimbursement, to the account, pursuant to Section 21682.5 of this code and Section 194 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be available for allocation by the director for the following purposes: (a) State transportation planning. (b) Regional transportation planning by transportation planning agencies designated pursuant to Section 29532 of the Government Code, but not those specified in subdivision (b) of Section 29532.4 of the Government Code. 99311.1. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the director shall allocate, from the account or from other available state or federal sources, or from both state and federal sources, for the purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 99311, an amount commensurate with the historical annual allocation to transportation planning agencies designated pursuant to Section 29532 of the Government Code that do not directly receive federal planning funds, as set forth in Section 134 of Title 23 of the United States Code. 99311.5. The amount allocated to a transportation planning agency designated pursuant to Section 29532 of the Government Code, for the preparation or updating of a regional transportation plan pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 65080) of Title 7 of that code, may be up to 70 percent of its nonfederally reimbursed costs for regional transportation planning. For a transportation planning agency in a county with a population of less than 500,000 persons, the director may increase that percentage, if the director determines it to be in the best interests of regional and state transportation planning to do so. 99312. Except as provided in Sections 99311 and 99311.5, and except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (d) and (e), the funds in the account shall be made available for the following purposes: (a) Twenty-five percent for purposes of Section 99315, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. (b) To the Controller, 37.5 percent for allocation to transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board pursuant to Section 99314. Commencing with the 2011-12 fiscal year, these funds are hereby continuously appropriated for purposes of this subdivision. (c) To the Controller, 37.5 percent for allocation to transportation agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board for purposes of Section 99313. Commencing with the 2011-12 fiscal year, these funds are hereby continuously appropriated for purposes of this subdivision. (d) (1) For the 2009-10 fiscal year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other provision of law, the sum of four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the account to the Controller for immediate allocation pursuant to paragraph (2). These funds are intended to cover the two-year period of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 fiscal years. The remaining funds in the account subject to this section shall be available for the purposes of Section 99315, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. (2) (A) Fifty percent of the amount appropriated to the Controller pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be allocated to transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board pursuant to Section 99314. (B) Fifty percent of the amount appropriated to the Controller pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be allocated to transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board pursuant to Section 99313. (e) For the 2010-11 fiscal year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other provision of law, the funds in the account subject to this section shall be made available only for purposes of Section 99315, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. 99312.5. (a) In the case of a transportation planning agency with county transportation commissions within its area of jurisdiction, the allocations pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 to the transportation planning agency shall be determined by excluding the areas also under the jurisdiction of the county transportation commissions. (b) In the case of the transportation planning agency with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board within its area of jurisdiction, the allocations pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 to the transportation planning agency shall be determined by excluding the area also under the jurisdiction of the transit development board. 99312.7. (a) Not later than each January 31st, the Controller shall send to each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, an estimate of the amount of funds to be allocated to it during the next fiscal year pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314. (b) Not later than each August 1st, on the basis of the amount appropriated in the Budget Act for purposes of Sections 99313 and 99314, the Controller shall send to each of the entities an estimate of the amount of funds to be allocated to it during the fiscal year. (c) No notification shall be required for a fiscal year if funding for Sections 99313 and 99314 allocations is suspended pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 99312 or any other provision of law. 99313. From the funds made available pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 99312, an amount shall be allocated by the Controller to each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, based on the ratio of the population of the area under its jurisdiction to the total population of the state. 99313.1. (a) A transportation planning agency, a county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board may transfer any funds that it receives pursuant to Section 99313 to another transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board. Any funds transferred pursuant to this section shall be used only for the purposes authorized by this chapter and are subject to all statutes and rules and regulations applicable to funds allocated pursuant to Section 99313. (b) If one transfer has been completed between a transportation planning agency, a county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, pursuant to this section, no other transfer may be made between the same parties. (c) In the event of a transfer of funds to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority pursuant to this section, the amount of that transfer, if any, which exceeds the amount of funds transferred at that time by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to the transferring transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, may not be used for the purpose of funding an exclusive public mass transit guideway system project. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority shall report to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Transportation on the expenditure of any funds received by it pursuant to a transfer made pursuant to this section. 99313.3. The amount received by each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314, shall be allocated for public transportation purposes, including community transit services. Funds received pursuant to Section 99314 may be expended for community transit services pursuant to Section 99275. 99313.6. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, shall create a state transit assistance fund and deposit therein the funds allocated to it pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 for allocations to operators, and to claimants for the purposes specified in Section 99275 and in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e) of Section 99400, within the area on which its allocation was determined. (b) From funds allocated to it pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority may allocate funds to itself for the planning, design, and construction of an exclusive public mass transit guideway system. (c) An allocation of funds from a state transit assistance fund for a transit capital project may be used for the payment of the principal of, and interest on, equipment trust certificates, bonded or other indebtedness, or in accomplishment of a defeasance of any outstanding revenue bond indenture issued for that project. (d) From funds allocated to it pursuant to Section 99313, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission may allocate funds to itself for projects to achieve regional transit coordination objectives. (e) From funds allocated to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission pursuant to Section 99313, upon a request of the Solano Transportation Authority, the commission may allocate an amount of funds to the authority for public transportation purposes, including countywide transit planning and coordination relative to Solano County. 99313.7. A public agency authorized to file claims with the transportation planning agency and expend funds pursuant to Section 99234.5, 99234.7, or 99234.9 may also file claims, receive allocations, and expend state transit assistance funds made available pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314. 99314. (a) From funds made available pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 99312, an amount shall be allocated by the Controller to each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board. The allocation shall include an amount corresponding to each of the member agencies of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority. The amount of funds allocated shall be based on the ratio of the total revenue of all the operators and the member agencies of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority in the area under their respective jurisdictions during the prior fiscal year to the total revenue of all the operators in the state and the member agencies of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the member agencies of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority during the prior fiscal year. (b) For purposes of this section and Section 99314.3, "revenue" means fare revenues and any other funds used by the operator for its transit operation, and the revenue that is derived from operating as a member of the authority pursuant to Section 99314.1, except federal and state funds which may only be used for transportation purposes and funds allocated pursuant to Section 99233. The revenue amount for each operator shall be determined from the annual report submitted to the Legislature by the Controller pursuant to Section 99243.5. The revenue amount for each member agency of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority shall be determined by the revenues reported to the Controller by the respective authorities in accordance to subdivision (b) of Section 99314.1 and subdivision (b) of Section 99314.2, respectively. (c) For the purposes of this section, any reference to the "Altamont Commuter Express Authority" shall be construed to include a reference to any entity that is a successor to the authority. 99314.1. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) The "Altamont Commuter Express Authority" or the "authority" is the joint powers agency duly formed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, by and between the Alameda Congestion Management Agency, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. Any reference to the "Altamont Commuter Express Authority" or the "authority" shall be construed to include a reference to any entity that is a successor to the authority. (2) "Revenue" means revenue, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 99314, that is derived from operating as a member agency of the authority. (b) The Altamont Commuter Express Authority shall report to the Controller, for each fiscal year, the ratio that the revenue of each member agency of the authority during the prior fiscal year bears to the total revenue of the authority during that fiscal year. (c) (1) From funds made available pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 99312, the Controller shall allocate to each member agency of the authority an amount that is based on the ratio provided under subdivision (b). (2) The allocation set forth in paragraph (1) shall be in addition to any other allocation provided under this article. (3) Allocations made under this section shall be used only for purposes authorized under this chapter. 99314.2. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) The "Southern California Regional Rail Authority" or the "authority" is that joint powers authority described in Section 14072 of the Government Code and includes any additional agencies that may join the authority under Section 14072.2 of that code. (2) "Revenue" means revenue, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 99314, that is derived from operating as a member agency of the authority. (b) The Southern California Regional Rail Authority shall report to the Controller, on an annual basis, the ratio that the revenue of each member agency of the authority during the prior fiscal year bears to the total revenue of the authority during that fiscal year. (c) (1) From funds made available pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 99312, the Controller shall allocate to each member agency of the authority an amount that is based on the ratio provided under subdivision (b). (2) The allocation set forth in paragraph (1) shall be in addition to any other allocation provided under this article. (3) Allocations made under this section shall be used only for purposes authorized under this chapter. 99314.3. (a) The amount received by each transportation planning agency and county transportation commission, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, pursuant to Section 99314 shall be allocated to the operators in the area of its jurisdiction. (b) The amount of funds allocated by the Controller corresponding to each of the member agencies of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the member agencies of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, pursuant to Section 99314, shall be allocated by the transportation planning agency having jurisdiction over the member agency's area, for purposes authorized in this chapter. The allocation shall be based on the ratio of the revenues of each of the member agencies and of all the operators during the prior fiscal year within the area of jurisdiction of the allocating agency, commission, or board as the case may be. (c) The amount allocated to each operator pursuant to this section shall be based on the ratio of its revenue of all the operations and the member agencies of the Altamont Commuter Express Authority and the member agencies of the Southern California Rail Authority during the prior fiscal year to the total revenue of all the operators during the prior fiscal year within the area of jurisdiction of the allocating agency, commission, or board, as the case may be. (d) For purposes of subdivision (a), the City and County of San Francisco with respect to its municipal railway system, the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District shall be considered one operator. The amount allocated to them as one operator shall be apportioned to each of them based on the ratio of its revenue to the sum of their revenues, excluding from the determination of that ratio the amount allocated to each of them pursuant to Section 29142.2. 99314.4. (a) An operator in an urbanized area having a population of less than 200,000 persons may elect to participate in the funding exchange program authorized by this subdivision. An operator electing to participate in the funding exchange program shall give notice to the director and shall indicate the amount of funds which it wants allocated for the funding exchange program. From funds that would otherwise be allocated to an operator pursuant to Sections 99313.3, 99314, and 99314.3, an amount so designated by the participating operator shall be allocated to the department for transfer pursuant to an agreement between the department and the State of Arizona whereby California can receive federal mass transportation funds originally apportioned to the State of Arizona. The department shall allocate the federal mass transportation funds so received to each participating operator in the same proportion as the operator contributed to the funding exchange program. Funds so received shall be used only for the purposes authorized by this chapter and are subject to all statutes and rules and regulations applicable to funds allocated pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314. The Legislature finds and declares that the exchange of state funds for federal mass transportation funds authorized by this section will result in a net increase in the total amount of funds to be available to the participating operators. (b) A transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or transit development board may authorize an operator under its jurisdiction to exchange funds allocated to it pursuant to Section 99314.3 for funds made available pursuant to Section 99231. Any funds allocated pursuant to Section 99314.3 that are exchanged pursuant to this subdivision shall only be available to other operators and shall be used for the purposes authorized by this chapter and are subject to all statutes and rules and regulations applicable to funds allocated pursuant to Section 99314.3. Exchanges pursuant to this subdivision shall be on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 99314.5. (a) No funds allocated pursuant to Section 99313.3 or 99314.3 shall be allocated to an operator unless it is eligible for allocations under Article 4 (commencing with Section 99260), without considering any funds to be allocated to it pursuant to those sections, or it is in a county in which funds may be allocated for purposes specified in Section 99400. (b) No funds allocated pursuant to Section 99313.3 shall be allocated to a city or county for the purposes specified in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e) of Section 99400 unless it is eligible for allocations under Article 8 (commencing with Section 99400) for those purposes, without considering any funds to be allocated to it pursuant to that section. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in allocating the funds, the transportation planning agencies and the county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, give priority consideration to claims to offset reductions in federal operating assistance and the unanticipated increase in the cost of fuel, to enhance existing public transportation services, and to meet high-priority regional, countywide, or areawide public transportation needs. (d) No funds allocated pursuant to Section 99313.3 or 99314.3 shall be allocated to a claimant for the purposes specified in Section 99275 unless it is eligible for allocation under Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 99275) for those purposes, without considering any funds to be allocated to it pursuant to those sections. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or limit the ability of, a public transit operator to do the following: (1) Contract with common carriers of persons operating under a franchise or license. (2) Employ part-time drivers. 99314.6. (a) Except as provided in Section 99314.7, the following eligibility standards apply: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), funds shall not be allocated for operating purposes pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 to an operator unless the operator meets either of the following efficiency standards: (A) The operator's total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour in the latest year for which audited data are available does not exceed the sum of the preceding year's total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour and an amount equal to the product of the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the same period multiplied by the preceding year's total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour. (B) The operator's average total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour in the latest three years for which audited data are available does not exceed the sum of the average of the total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour in the three years preceding the latest year for which audited data are available and an amount equal to the product of the average percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the same period multiplied by the average total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour in the same three years. (2) The transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, as the case may be, shall adjust the calculation of operating costs and revenue vehicle hours pursuant to paragraph (1) to account for either or both of the following factors: (A) Exclusion of costs increases beyond the change in the Consumer Price Index for fuel; alternative fuel programs; power, including electricity; insurance premiums and payments in settlement of claims arising out of the operator's liability; or state or federal mandates, including the additional operating costs required to provide comparable complementary paratransit service as required by Section 37.121 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.), as identified in the operator's paratransit plan pursuant to Section 37.139 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (B) Exclusion of startup costs for new services for a period of not more than two years. (3) Funds withheld from allocation to an operator pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be retained by the transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, as the case may be, for reallocation to that operator for two years following the year of ineligibility. In a year in which an operator's funds are allocated pursuant to paragraph (1), funds withheld from allocation during a preceding year shall also be allocated. Funds not allocated before the commencement of the third year following the year of ineligibility shall be reallocated to cost effective high priority regional transit activities, as determined by the transportation planning agency, county transportation commission, or the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, as the case may be. If that agency or commission, or the board, determines that no cost effective high priority regional transit activity exists, the unallocated funds shall revert to the Controller for reallocation. (b) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) "Operating cost" means the total operating cost as reported by the operator under the Uniform System of Accounts and Records, pursuant to Section 99243 and subdivision (a) of Section 99247. (2) "Revenue vehicle hours" has the same meaning as "vehicle service hours," as defined in subdivision (h) of Section 99247. (3) "Consumer Price Index," as applied to an operator, is the regional Consumer Price Index for that operator's region, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. If a regional index is not published, the index for the State of California applies. (4) "New service" has the same meaning as "extension of public transportation services" as defined in Section 99268.8. (c) The restrictions in this section do not apply to allocations made for capital purposes. (d) The exclusion of costs increases described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) applies solely for the purpose of calculating an operator's eligibility to claim funds pursuant to this section and does not authorize an operator to report an operating cost per revenue vehicle hour other than as described in this section and in Section 99247, to any of the following entities: (1) The Controller pursuant to Section 99243. (2) The entity conducting the fiscal audit pursuant to Section 99245. (3) The entity conducting the performance audit pursuant to Section 99246. (e) The restrictions in this section shall not apply to the allocation of funds made pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314 after January 1, 2010, and through the 2011-12 fiscal year. 99314.7. (a) In allocating funds for operating purposes pursuant to Sections 99313 and 99314, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall apply the following eligibility standards to the operators within the region subject to its jurisdiction: (1) An operator is not eligible for its full allocation under this section unless the operator has been found to have made reasonable effort in implementing productivity improvements pursuant to Section 99244. In determining whether a reasonable effort has been made, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall give consideration to whether the operator would qualify for funding under Section 99314.6. The amount of funds allocated shall be reduced in an amount that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission deems proportionate to the failure of the operator to implement the recommended improvements. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall adopt rules and regulations, in cooperation with the affected operators, governing the allocation of any funds withheld under this paragraph, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3). (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an operator shall not receive any funds pursuant to Section 99313 or 99314 unless it has complied with the applicable rules , regulations, and recommendations adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission pursuant to Sections 66516 and 66516.5 of the Government Code. (3) Funds withheld from allocation to an operator pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be retained by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for reallocation to that operator for two years following the year of ineligibility. With respect to the funds withheld from an operator pursuant to paragraph (1), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall reallocate those funds to the operator if the operator complies with that paragraph within two years. Funds not reallocated to the operator, and funds withheld pursuant to paragraph (2), shall be allocated to any eligible operator within the region subject to the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the purpose of improving coordination among the operators, or to any operator whose increase in total operating cost per revenue vehicle hour is less than the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Funds allocated for these purposes are exempt from subdivision (a). (b) For purposes of this section, "operating cost," "revenue vehicle hour," and "Consumer Price Index" have the same meaning as defined in Section 99314.6. 99315. Funds made available pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99312 shall be available for all of the following purposes: (a) To the department for bus and passenger rail services pursuant to Sections 14035, 14035.5, and 14038 of the Government Code. (b) To the department for funding of public transit capital improvement projects in the state transportation improvement program, pursuant to Section 14529 of the Government Code. (c) To the department for its planning activities not payable from the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund, its mass transportation responsibilities, and its assistance in regional transportation planning. (d) To the department for allocation by the director to the Institute of Transportation Studies of the University of California for training and research in public transportation systems engineering and management and coordination with other transportation modes. (e) To the commission for its activities not payable from the State Highway Account. (f) To the Public Utilities Commission for its passenger rail safety responsibilities specified in statute on commuter rail, intercity rail, and urban rail transit lines. (g) For transfer to the Transportation Debt Service Fund created by Section 16965 of the Government Code to reimburse the General Fund for current year debt service payments on rail and transit-related general obligation bonds other than those issued pursuant to the Clean Air and Transportation Improvement Act of 1990 (Part 11.5 (commencing with Section 99600)), as follows: (1) For the 2009-10 fiscal year, the Controller shall transfer up to one hundred forty-two million fifty-eight thousand dollars ($142,058,000) to the fund upon order of the Director of Finance for debt service paid or payable within that fiscal year. (2) For the 2010-11 fiscal year, the Controller shall transfer up to two hundred fifty-four million two hundred twenty-two thousand dollars ($254,222,000) to the fund, as follows: (A) By the 15th of every month, the Treasurer, in consultation with the Director of Finance, shall notify the Controller of the amount of debt service that will be paid on each transportation bond during that month. (B) Within two business days following the 28th of every month, the Controller shall transfer from the account to the Transportation Debt Service Fund an amount equal to monthly debt service paid by the General Fund on any bonds issued pursuant to Proposition 108 (1990) and Proposition 1A (2008), and one-quarter of the monthly debt service paid by the General Fund on any bonds issued pursuant to Proposition 1B (2006). 99315.7. All funds from the Public Transportation Account and the State Highway Account, State Transportation Fund, previously allocated by the commission or the department to the new Fresno Amtrak Station project shall also be available for expenditure on any form of Amtrak project in the Fresno downtown area, including, but not limited to, the rehabilitation of the former Santa Fe Railway station, as approved by the commission or the department or the commission and the department. The encumbering and expending of funds for this project is not subject to an additional allocation action or approval action, or both actions, by the commission. 99315.8. All funds from the Public Transportation Account and the State Highway Account, in the State Transportation Fund, previously allocated by the commission for specific track repair and rolling stock acquisitions through resolutions number MFP-95-05, MFP-95-10, MPFP-95-01, MFA-96-01, and MBFA-98-01 shall also be available for expenditure on any form of track improvement project, track rehabilitation project, or rolling stock acquisition project nominated by the North Coast Railroad Authority, as approved by the commission. Projects nominated by the North Coast Railroad Authority, for which funds in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund are to be used, are also required to be eligible under Article XIX of the California Constitution. The encumbering and expending of funds for this project is not subject to an additional allocation action or approval action, or both actions, by the commission. 99315.95. All funds from the Public Transportation Account and the State Highway Account, in the State Transportation Fund, previously allocated by the California Transportation Commission to the City of Seaside for the acquisition of right-of-way for the Fort Ord rail station shall also be available for expenditure by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County for work at the Monterey Bay rail station. The commission shall oversee the timely use of these funds in accordance with the requirements specified in current law. 99316. Funds made available pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99315 shall be appropriated to the department for allocation, as directed by the commission, for purposes of bus and passenger rail services pursuant to Sections 14035, 14035.5, and 14038 of the Government Code. 99317. (a) Funds made available pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 99315 shall be appropriated to the department for allocation, as directed by the commission, to fund public transit capital improvement projects that maintain or improve public transit service. (b) Funds made available for capital outlay pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 14031.6 of the Government Code and subdivision (a) of Section 99315 shall be appropriated to the department, as directed by the commission, solely for capital outlay improvements and rolling stock on intercity rail passenger routes. (c) The Legislature may amend this section, by statute passed in each house of the Legislature by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, if the statute is consistent with, and furthers the purposes of, this section. 99317.1. (a) Funds appropriated pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99317 shall, in addition to the purposes specified in that section, be available for short-line railroad rehabilitation projects, through the state transportation improvement program. (1) Projects eligible for funding pursuant to this subdivision shall be limited to railroad rehabilitation projects. (2) To be eligible for funding pursuant to this subdivision, a project proposal shall be submitted by a public entity. The public entity shall submit a project proposal only if it has made a finding, following a public hearing, that rail service on the affected railroad would be in imminent danger of being discontinued without the expenditure of public funds, and that continuation of the service serves a public purpose. (b) As used in this section, "short-line railroad" means any standard gauge railroad which is being, or is planned to be, used for passenger service, other than a class I railroad, as that term is used and applied in federal law. 99317.8. (a) A public agency that has received an allocation for funding of an intermodal transfer station pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99317 shall provide for maintaining the station and its appurtenances, including, but not limited to, restroom facilities, in good condition and repair, and in accordance with high standards of cleanliness. As part of its duties in monitoring state-funded rail and bus services, the department shall, at least annually, conduct an unannounced inspection of each facility and make recommendations, if any, to the operating agency. Results of the department's inspections shall be included in the passenger rail element of the State Rail Plan required pursuant to Section 14036 of the Government Code. If appropriate remedial action is not taken, the department may recommend to the commission that future applications for transit capital funding be denied. (b) The Legislature finds and declares that regular inspections of intermodal stations are necessary to protect the state's capital investment in these essential transportation facilities and to avoid the problems resulting from deferred maintenance. 99317.9. The department and the commission shall give reasonable priority to allocations pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99317 to station projects that improve access for visitors to state prisons. 99317.10. (a) A public entity which has received an allocation for funding of an intermodal transfer station pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99317 shall, upon request of the department, authorize state-funded bus service to use the station without any charge to the department or its contractors, and shall assist the department in the placement of signs and informational material designed to alert the public to the availability of the state-funded bus service. (b) A public entity shall not be eligible to receive an allocation for funding of an intermodal transfer station pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 99317 unless it first agrees that, upon any future request of the department, it will authorize a state-funded bus service to use the station without any charge to the department or its contractors and it will assist the department in the placement of signs and informational material designed to alert the public to the availability of the state-funded bus service. (c) For the purpose of this section, "state-funded bus service" means any bus service funded pursuant to Section 99316. 99318.1. An intercity rail project nominated by the department shall be eligible to compete for funding pursuant to Section 99317 if it is recommended in the passenger rail element of the State Rail Plan prepared pursuant to Section 14036 of the Government Code, or an update to that plan. 99319. (a) If a rail capital improvement project proposed for funding by the department or a local agency includes as an element the addition or improvement of rail passenger service boarding platforms, those platforms shall be constructed in conformity with applicable rules and orders of the Public Utilities Commission and in such a manner that the top of each platform is not less than eight inches above the adjacent rails, unless the department makes a finding that the circumstances in a particular case warrant otherwise and obtains approval from the Public Utilities Commission for any deviation from its applicable rules and orders. (b) The requirements of this section apply to all passenger service boarding platforms constructed with funds made available pursuant to Section 14031.6 of the Government Code, Sections 99234.5, 99234.9 and 99317 of this code, Section 164 of the Streets and Highways Code, and funds made available from the proceeds of state general obligation bonds issued for the purposes of rail capital improvements.