State legislation is an important element of the high-speed rail project. During the 2009 legislative session over a dozen new bills were proposed which affect the HSR project.
Some of these bills were constructive: Senator Ashburn’s SB 783 establishes additional requirements for the CHSRA’s Business Plan, and Senator Lowenthal’s SB 734 allocates funds for various transportation projects including grade separations. Other bills were destructive: Assemblymember Galgiani’s AB 289 proposed to exempt HSR grade separation projects from having to go through CEQA.
As a service to the community, CARRD tracks these bills and provides a summary of their progress through the legislature. the updates are sent to City Councils, legislative offices, agencies, organizations and anyone interested in following the progress of the HSR project.
To receive the legislative updates, join CARRD’s email list by subscribing to the newsletter. The signup box is on the right. The updates are posted on CARRD’s Legislative Update page.