Legislative Affairs
The Legislative Affairs Team oversees the District’s advocacy efforts at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. This includes development of the District’s annual federal and state legislative programs which guide our advocacy efforts in Washington, DC and Sacramento. Team members work closely with state and federal policymakers to influence transit legislation, appropriations, and administrative matters that impact AC Transit’s operations. At the regional and local levels the team tracks and influences proposed transportation policies and funding measures, in addition to managing public education efforts for ballot measures designed to increase or augment AC Transit’s operating and capital revenues.
Please e-mail any questions or concerns to Claudia Burgos, Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Relations.
Thank you.
Annual & Legislative Reports
At AC Transit, we are always working hard to provide high quality and reliable service to our riders. Each year, we are busy rolling out a variety of initiatives to keep us at our best. Our annual reports are intended to let you know what we have been up to and how we continue to improve service for our riders.
State & Federal Advocacy
Each year AC Transit’s Board of Directors adopts both a state advocacy and a federal advocacy program. The District tracks relevant legislation and issues at the state and federal levels and keeps a record of its positions on each bill or issue. This board direction guides the agency's advocacy efforts to ensure that its interests are represented throughout the process.
2023: Federal and State Legislative Program
2022: Federal and State Legislative Program
2021: Federal and State Legislative Program
2020: Federal and State Legislative Program
2019: Federal and State Legislative Program
2018: Federal and State Legislative Program
2017: Federal and State Legislative Program
2016: Federal and State Legislative Program
Legislative Positions
The AC Transit Board of Directors routinely evaluates bills that affect public transit and decides whether it will take a position on them or not. These positions demonstrate support or they may be used to advocate for change in the bill that might better serve the interests of public transit agencies. Below are the current positions taken by the AC Transit Board of Director during this legislative session.
State Legislative Positions
| Bill Number | Bill Description | Board Position Taken | Date Position Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB 241 (Reyes) | This bill extends until 2035 the state’s authority to collect various vehicle and vessel registration fees that fund a variety of programs supporting clean alternative vehicles, fuels and related infrastructure. AB 241 would require that half of the funds be used for projects benefitting disadvantaged communities. | Support | 5/24/23 |
| AB 316 (Aguiar-Curry) | This bill prohibits an autonomous vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds from operating on public roads without a human physically present in the vehicle. | Watch | 5/24/23 |
| SB 532 (Weiner) | This bill would exempt complicated local tiered-tax and bond measures from this requirement. Existing law requires that a ballot statement for a bond or tax measure describe the purpose of the measure, revenues to be raised, and the rate and duration of the tax to be levied, and that it do so in 75 words or less. | Support | 5/24/23 |
| AB 719 (Boerner) | This bill would require managed health care plans to reimburse public transit agencies for the cost of providing non-medical transportation. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| AB 817 (Pacheco) | This bill would allow an advisory body to meet via teleconference without regard to a state of emergency, subject to annual approval by the legislative body that created the advisory body. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| AB 819 (Bryan) | This bill would make a third or subsequent fare evasion violation no longer a misdemeanor with potential jail time and instead, an infraction punishable by a max. $400 fine. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| AB 1379 (Papan) | This bill would allow the Board and the District’s advisory bodies to hold meetings in any combination of in person or remote participation. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| SB 434 (Min) | This bill would require the state’s 10 largest transit agencies, including AC Transit, to survey riders about harassment on public transportation. Conducting the survey would be contingent upon the legislature providing funding. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) | This bill would lower to 55% the voter threshold for tax measures that could help fund capital improvements to transit. | Support | 4/26/23 |
| AB 1525 (Bonta) | This bill would require at least 60 percent of all moneys allocated for projects administered by the State Transportation Agency, Caltrans, and California Transportation Commission benefit disadvantaged communities. | Support in Concept | 4/26/23 |
| AB 761 (Friedman) | This bill would convene similar stakeholders as the Bay Area’s Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force to take a statewide approach on improving transit services, coordination, procurement, and funding. | Watch | 4/26/23 |
| AB 645 (Friedman) | This bill establishes a five-year pilot program that gives several California cities, Oakland among them, the authority to install speed safety systems (e.g., automated cameras) aimed at slowing vehicle traffic. The bill requires the pilot cities to, among other things, work with racial equity, privacy protection, and economic justice groups to develop and adopt a Speed Safety System Use Policy. | Support | 3/22/23 |
| AB 540 (Wicks) | This bill aims to expand accessible transportation services by increasing the transportation improvement fee by $10 per vehicle and allocating those funds to counties based on population. The new fee would require a 2/3 vote of the legislature. It also requires every county to set up an agency charged with improving transportation service to seniors and people with disabilities. Amendments are being drafted that could change the focus of this proposal. | Watch | 3/22/23 |
| AB 364 (Bryan) | This bill directs Caltrans to standardize and collect data on street furniture, like bus shelters, trash cans, public toilets, benches, and more. It then requires this information be integrated into the system used to deliver real time transit arrival information on websites and third-party apps. The burden to transit agencies has yet to be clarified and the costs of implementing this bill are unknown. | Watch | 3/22/23 |
| AB 610 (Holden) | This bill creates a pilot program, contingent upon funding in the state budget, allowing a transit operator to partner with a school district to apply for funds to provide free youth transit passes. The funding source has yet to be identified and could result in the redirection of other funds intended for transportation. Costs will likely exceed $115 million annually. | Watch | 3/22/23 |
| SB 411 (Portantino) | This bill would allow legislative bodies to continue to convene via teleconference without regard to a state of emergency. California’s State of Emergency for the COVID pandemic expired on Feb 28. The bill’s current language only applies to legislative bodies that are appointed, and the author has signaled that amendments are forthcoming. | Watch | 3/22/23 |
| AB 463 (Hart) | This bill would grant transit agencies priority access to electricity during power grid curtailments. This bill is sponsored by AC Transit and the California Transit Association. | Support | 2/22/2023 |
| AB 96 (Kalra) | This bill proposes a process that would require a transit operator to inform labor representatives of the operators’ intent to use autonomous vehicle technology. | Watch | 2/22/2023 |
| SB 1230 (Limon) | This bill aims to streamline existing financial incentive programs to make it easier for lower income residents to purchase clean technology vehicles. It also expands the number of incentive programs that support alternative mobility options for those less inclined to buy a new zero emission vehicle, including transit passes for public transit, car sharing, bike sharing, or electric bicycles. There are outstanding details regarding how the transit pass program would function. | Watch | 5/25/2022 |
| AB 2357 (Ting) | This bill streamlines the Surplus Lands Act (SLA) to promote the use of public lands for affordable housing. Past efforts have raised concerns about the impact similar proposals would have on the District’s ability to expand, sell, or lease its property. | Watch | 5/25/2022 |
| AB 1975 (Nazarian) | This bill requires cities and counties, until January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature that identifies the number of bus shelters within the city or county. The intent is to determine whether local jurisdictions have enough of these facilities to shelter transit riders from the impacts of climate change, including higher temperatures, and which areas should be prioritized to receive shelters. | Watch | 5/25/2022 |
| SB 1121 (Gonzalez) | This bill requires the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to biennially develop a needs assessment of the cost to operate, maintain, and provide for the future growth and resiliency of the state and local transportation system for the next 10 years. The needs assessment includes mass transit systems, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, local streets and roads, and highways, bridges and culverts. SB 1121 requires the CTC to consult relevant stakeholders, including transit operators, in developing the needs assessment. | Support | 5/25/2022 |
| SB 1075 (Skinner) | The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $2 billion to support the creation of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs to develop a national clean hydrogen network and facilitate a clean hydrogen economy. SB 1075 would create a Clean Hydrogen Hub Fund to support California’s bid for a federal Hydrogen Hub grant by providing some level of state matching dollars. The bill could help get one of the federal hydrogen hubs to be in California, which would help in the development of hydrogen production and distribution, which would benefit AC Transit. | Support | 5/25/2022 |
| AB 2097 (Friedman) | The bill prohibits public agencies from imposing or enforcing a minimum automobile parking requirement for residential, commercial and other developments if the parcel is located within one-half mile walking distance of either a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop. | Support | 5/25/2022 |
| SB 1161 (Min) | This bill would require California’s ten largest transit districts (by ridership, including AC Transit) to develop and adhere to “initiatives” addressing street harassment towards riders at any point in their transit journey. These initiatives must be based on expansive ridership data collected by the transit district. Transit districts would also be required to consider the safety of these individuals when designing transit systems. | Watch Position amended to "Support" at 6/22/2022 board meeting | 4/27/2022 |
| AB 2441 (Kalra) | This bill requires transit agencies to disclose to their employee representatives, 12 months in advance, of any plans to introduce new products, services, or operations that will feature new technologies or will otherwise affect the availability of jobs and job functions, and to collectively bargain with their labor representatives before developing or implementing the new product, service or operation. | Watch | 4/27/2022 |
| AB 2336 (Friedman) | The Speed Safety System Pilot Program, would establish a five-year pilot program, from 2023 to 2028, to give several California cities, including Oakland, the authority to install speed safety systems (e.g., automated cameras) aimed at slowing vehicle traffic. The bill requires the pilot cities to, among other things, work with racial equity, privacy protection, and economic justice groups to develop and adopt a Speed Safety System Use Policy. | Support | 4/27/2022 |
| AB 2237 (Friedman) | This bill would prohibit a regional transportation planning agency or county transportation commission from funding projects in a Regional Transportation Improvement Program not aligned with the state’s climate goals or Sustainable Community Strategy. These efforts are aimed at helping the state reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. | Watch | 4/27/2022 |
| AB 1938 (Friedman) | This bill would create the Transit Recovery Task Force, charged with reporting back to the Legislature on existing transit funding and operations performance metrics, including recommendations on how to improve transit in a variety of areas, from transit procurement and funding to fare coordination, transit consolidation and/or having a network manager to coordinate routes. | Watch | 4/27/2022 |
| AB 2449 (Rubio) | This bill would authorize a local agency to use teleconferencing without public noticing if at least a quorum of the members of the legislative body participates in person from a singular location clearly identified on the agenda that is open to the public and situated within the local agency’s jurisdiction. It will also require the legislative body to offer public comment via video or phone. | Watch | 3/23/2022 |
| AB 1944 (Lee) | This bill would delete the requirement that a member of a legislative body participating in a Brown Act meeting remotely from a non-public location disclose the address of their location. It also requires a governing body using teleconferencing to video stream to the public and offer public comment via video or phone. | Watch Position amended to "Support if amended" at 5/25/2022 board meeting | 3/23/2022 |
| AB 1993 (Wicks) | This bill would require an employer to require each of their employees or independent contractors that is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to demonstrate that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. | Watch | 3/23/2022 |
| AB 1919 (Holden) | This bill would require transit agencies to provide free fares to youth 25 years or younger in order to be eligible for state funding under the Transportation Development Act, the State Transit Assistance Program, and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program. | Watch Position amended to "Oppose" at 4/27/2022 board meeting Position amended to "Support" at 6/22/2022 board meeting | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 1100 (Cortese) | SB 1100 would authorize the removal of an individual from a public meeting who is “willfully interrupting” the meeting after a warning and a request to stop their behavior. | Watch | 3/23/2022 |
| AB 2147 (Ting) | AB 2147 would prohibit a peace officer from stopping a pedestrian for jaywalking only when there is an immediate danger of collision with a moving vehicle or other device operating under human power. | Watch | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 878 (Skinner) | Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, this bill would require that all public school students be offered free transportation to and from school provided that the state pays for all costs of the program. Staff is seeking amendments that recognizes our unique role as a provider of supplementary service and which avoids additional training and sertifications for our operators. | Support and seek amendments | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 917 (Becker) | This bill seeks to implement many of the recommendations made by MTC's Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force, including an integrated fare structure, regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, implementation/maintenance strategy, a funding plan, and open data standards. Proposed amendments are focused on providing funds to implement the bill, identifying realistic and achievable timelines, and providing greater flexibility around when state funding may be withheld and how much. | Support if amended | 3/23/2022 |
| AB 2622 (Mullin) | This bill proposes to extend, through 2034, the existing state sales tax exemption on zero emission bus purchases. | Support | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 942 (Newman) | This bill would increase the flexibility of LCTOP funds by allowing a transit agency to annually use its LCTOP allocation for free or reduced transit passes without having to annually demonstrate the nexus to greenhouse gas emission reduction | Support | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 922 (Wiener) | This bill would modify and permanently extend the CEQA exemptions for clean transportation projects authorized under SB 288, which the Board supported in 2020. | Support | 3/23/2022 |
| SB 551 (Stern) | Supports coordination among state agencies to advance electric vehicle and zero-emission charging infrastructure. SB 551 proposes a technology neutral approach that prioritizes both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technology. | Support | 7/28/2021 |
| AB 43: Traffic Safety | AB 43 would implement some of the findings of the Vision Zero Task Force to reduce pedestrian and bicyclists’ fatalities by allowing local governments greater flexibility in setting safer speed limits. | Support | 5/26/21 |
| AB 361: Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences | AB 361 creates an alternative process for local agencies to hold teleconference meetings during emergencies or where in person meetings could put attendees’ health or safety at risk. | Support | 5/26/21 |
| AB 1401: Residential and commercial development: parking requirements | AB 1401 would prohibit local governments from imposing or enforcing minimum automobile parking requirements if the parcel is located within one-half mile walking distance of either of a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop. | Support | 5/26/21 |
| SB 18: Green electrolytic hydrogen | SB 18 would require the Air Resources Board to prepare a strategic plan for accelerating the production and use of hydrogen and an analysis of how curtailed electrical generation could be better utilized to meet the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. | Support | 5/26/21 |
| SB 274: Local government meetings: agenda and documents | SB 274 would require local agencies that have websites to email a copy of, or provide a link to, the agenda packet if an individual requests the local agency to deliver these items by email. | Support | 5/26/21 |
| AB 339: Local government: open and public meetings | AB 339 requires certain city council or county boards of supervisors meetings to allow the public to attend and comment via telephone or internet. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| SB 643: Fuel cell electric vehicle fueling infrastructure and fuel production: statewide assessment | SB 643 would require the Air Resources Board to create a working group to prepare a statewide assessment of the fuel cell electric vehicle fueling infrastructure and fuel production needed to support the adoption of zero-emission trucks, buses, and off-road vehicles. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| SB 662: Energy: transportation sector: hydrogen | SB 662 would establish a process to allow gas corporations to enter the market for producing hydrogen for transportation uses. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| SB 674: Public Contracts: workforce development: transportation-related contracts | SB 674 would require private entities bidding on transportation-related contracts valued at over $10 million to provide the minimum numbers of jobs that are projected to be retained and created if the applicant wins the contract, in addition to proposed wages, benefits and investments in training. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| AB 703: Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences | AB 703 is a two-year bill that would allow local agencies to use teleconference services to hold legislative meetings at any time. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| SB 726: Alternative fuel and vehicle technologies: Sustainable Transportation Strategy | SB 726 proposes to revise the California Energy Commission’s “Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program” and requires the development of a sustainable transportation strategy. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| AB 1238: Pedestrian access | AB 1238 decriminalizes jaywalking when no cars are present. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| AB 1312: Vehicular fuels: renewable and clean hydrogen: income tax: credit | AB 1312 is a two-year bill aimed at creating an investment tax credit for building hydrogen stations, distribution, and renewable fuel production to make hydrogen mobility self-sufficient by 2030. | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| AB 1389: Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program | AB 1389 makes various changes to the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, also known as the Clean Transportation Program (CTP). | Watch | 5/26/21 |
| AB 476: Department of Transportation: state highways: transit bus pilot program | AB476 would authorize Caltrans to expand its bus-on-shoulder pilot program to eight total projects. Existing law allows two agencies to conduct a transit bus-only program using the shoulders of certain state highways. | Support | 4/28/21 |
| SB 437: Local publicly owned electric utilities: integrated resource planning: transportation electrification. | SB 437 would require that utilities include details of an electricity rate design for heavy-duty vehicles, which would support zero emission bus rollout. | Support | 4/28/21 |
| AB 629: San Francisco Bay area: public transportation. | AB 629 aims to improve transit coordination in the Bay Area and calls for the institutionalization of transit system network management that takes into consideration the Transit Recovery Task Force recommendations. | Watch | 4/28/21 |
| AB 917 Vehicles: video imaging of parking violations | AB 917 would allow California transit agencies to use cameras, like those installed on Tempo BRT coaches, to discourage illegal parking in transit-only lanes and at transit stops and stations. AC Transit is co-sponsoring this bill with LA Metro and the California Transit Association. | Support | 3/24/2021 |
| AB 455: Bay Bridge Fast Forward Program | AB 455 aims to enhance transit service into and out of San Francisco. Phase 1 the bill focuses on improving the approaches to the Bay Bridge. Phase 2 would allow the creation of a transit only lane on the Bay Bridge | Support | 3/24/2021 |
| AB 1157 Controller: transportation funds: distribution and reporting requirements | AB 1157 would require local transportation planning agencies to report to the Controller within 7 months after the end of each fiscal year the public transportation operators within its jurisdiction that are eligible to claim specified local transportation funds. Current law requires local transportation planning agencies to report this information by June 15 of each year. | Support | 3/24/2021 |
| ACA 1: Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure | ACA 1 would lower the voter threshold for property tax increases, parcel taxes and sales taxes to 55% if the funds are used for affordable housing and infrastructure projects, including capital improvements to transit and streets and highways. | Support | 2/24/2021 |
| SB 44: California Environmental Quality Act: streamlined judicial review: environmental leadership transit projects | SB 44 would make zero-emission, fixed guideway transit projects eligible for expedited CEQA administrative and judicial review procedures established by the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act | Support | 2/24/2021 |
Federal Legislative Positions
| Bill Number | Bill Description | Board Position Taken | Date Position Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. 6989 – the Housing for All Act of 2022. | The bill would provide over $530 billion for affordable housing and require a report to Congress on how to better connect that housing to transit. | Support | 6/22/2022 |
| H.R. 4373: Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act | This bill is the legislative vehicle the Senate is using to advance the COVID supplemental appropriations sought by the Biden Administration. The bill now includes language that would allow localities to flex a portion of their COVID relief funding for transit capital investments. | Support | 4/27/2022 |
| H.R. 3744, the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act | Would provide $80 billion in transit operations funding over four years. The bill aims to provide more frequent service, especially in disadvantaged communities. | Support | 7/28/2021 |
| S. 874: BUILD GREEN Infrastructure & Jobs Act | The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) GREEN Act would invest $500 billion over ten years to electrify public transit systems and help modernize the nation’s infrastructure by covering up to 85% of costs for eligible projects. The Act would also dedicate at least 40% of all funding to projects in disadvantaged communities. | Support | 4/28/2021 |
| HR 535: Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act | HR 535 would require states to allocate at least 5 percent of their total federal COVID relief funds allocation to special districts and do so within 60 days of receiving a disbursement from the U.S. Treasury. The bill would also provide other tools for districts to access capital during the economic downturn. | Support | 3/24/2021 |
| S. 479: The Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act | The LOCAL Infrastructure Act would amend the federal tax code to restore state and local governments’ ability to use advance refunding to manage bond debt and reduce borrowing costs for public projects. | Support | 3/24/2021 |
| H.R. 7389, the Freedom to Move Act | Directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a grant program to support efforts to provide fare-free transit service and efforts to improve public transportation, particularly in underserved communities. | Support | 1/13/2021 |