Regional Transportation & Agency Governance

Establishes the Great Redwood Trail Agency as a state subdivision to manage rail services and trails in California's north coast. Requires annual budgets, regular audits, and competitive bidding for projects exceeding cost thresholds. Exempts the agency from local building and zoning laws except for projects on non-agency owned property. Authorizes contracts with law enforcement agencies to enforce trail rules and regulations.

Increases monthly compensation limits for school board members from $1,500 to $4,500 based on district size. Allows board members to receive full pay for excused absences due to illness, jury duty, or official duties. Permits boards to increase compensation by up to 5% annually with local approval. Bases compensation rates on student attendance, with larger districts eligible for higher payment caps.

Establishes a PERB-led labor-relations regime for TNC drivers. Requires quarterly rides totals and driver lists to identify covered TNCs. Sets 10% and 30% support thresholds for driver organizations with remote elections. Imposes penalties for failing to submit lists and protects driver data privacy.

Requires Senate confirmation for the Governor's five appointees to the High-Speed Rail Authority. Mandates geographical diversity in appointments to ensure statewide representation. Maintains the Authority's 11-member structure with four-year terms for voting members.

Requires a comprehensive study of economic opportunities along California's high-speed rail corridor by 2027. Mandates infrastructure districts to dedicate most revenue to local infrastructure projects. Explores funding options including federal grants, public-private partnerships, and development rights. Evaluates strategies to benefit communities through housing, commercial activity, and transportation services.

Restructures the transit board to require all seven directors be elected from specific wards instead of at-large positions. Establishes a $1,000 monthly director compensation that adjusts annually based on California Consumer Price Index. Requires directors to attend all regular board meetings to receive full monthly compensation. Allows candidates to submit 50 voter signatures or pay a $150 fee to run for director positions.

Requires transit board members to use public transit monthly to receive compensation. Mandates two nonvoting members on transit boards to represent riders and labor unions. Establishes four alternate nonvoting members to ensure consistent stakeholder representation. Protects nonvoting members from retaliation for their board meeting participation.

Establishes equal pay for all Air Resources Board members by removing compensation restrictions. Eliminates the $100 daily attendance payment for elected officials on the board. Requires air districts to reimburse their appointed board members for work-related expenses.

Authorizes employers to make retroactive wage payments on clean energy projects to qualify for federal tax incentives. Applies only to renewable energy projects completed between January 2023 and December 2024. Protects employers from penalties when making voluntary retroactive wage adjustments. Expires automatically on January 1, 2029.

Establishes the East Bay Hills Conservation Program to protect 30,000 acres of natural lands and wildlife habitat. Authorizes the East Bay Regional Park District to restore habitats and enhance recreational trails. Requires local governments to recognize the East Bay Hills as an area of statewide significance by 2026. Enables collaboration with Native American tribes for land preservation and educational programs.

Expands the San Diego Air Pollution Control District board to allow mayors to serve as district representatives. Authorizes the appointment of alternate board members with full voting rights when regular members are absent. Requires two city representatives and two public board members to serve shortened two-year terms starting 2029. Modifies the military liaison selection process to require consultation with Armed Forces.

Authorizes water district board members to designate proxy voters when unable to attend meetings through 2030. Limits proxy voting to six board meetings per year and requires written authorization one day in advance. Applies all conflict of interest laws and restrictions to both the original member and their designated proxy.

Authorizes compensation and expense reimbursement for certain county air pollution district boards. Requires an open-meeting resolution to authorize compensation and prohibits duplicate reimbursements. Imposes $200/day and $7,200/year caps, with increases up to 5% annually or CPI after 2026. Applies to districts under membership rules and Antelope Valley; requires a three-year report.

Establishes a pilot program allowing San Mateo Transit District to use job order contracting for repairs and remodeling. Limits individual job orders to $1 million and total contract awards to $5 million in the first year. Requires competitive bidding and payment of prevailing wages for all contracted work. Mandates program evaluation by 2030 and automatically expires in 2032.

Requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to submit a detailed funding plan for the Merced-Bakersfield segment by May 2026. Mandates identification of funding sources, timelines, and potential project delays for the rail segment. Requires assessment of funding risks and mitigation strategies for completing the rail segment. Establishes requirements for analyzing service options and costs for the Merced-Bakersfield route.

Extends the Green Empowerment Zone program in Contra Costa County through 2040 to promote renewable energy jobs. Expands the zone to include four additional cities while allowing jurisdictions to opt out with 60 days notice. Adds seven environmental justice representatives to the governing board to increase community input. Requires annual reporting on job creation, wages, grants, and workforce training starting July 2026.

Expands the LA Metro board from 14 to 18 members starting January 1, 2029. Adds the County Executive and three public appointees to the transportation board. Requires board restructuring within 60 days if county leadership changes. Maintains representation from cities based on four geographic sectors.

Establishes a new program within the Attorney General's office to build expertise in artificial intelligence. Requires the Attorney General to designate a specialized team for handling AI-related legal and policy issues. Mandates collaboration with academic institutions and civil rights organizations on AI system analysis. Requires annual public reports to the Legislature on AI developments starting July 2027.

Replaces the Mountain House Community Services District representative with a City of Mountain House representative on the Tri-Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority governing board. Maintains the existing 15-member governing board structure overseeing rail connectivity between BART and Altamont Corridor Express services. Requires state reimbursement to the City of Mountain House for any costs associated with this new responsibility.

Establishes the Public Transit Revenue Measure District to finance Bay Area transit. Authorizes 0.5% districtwide and 1% in SF for 14 years, subject to voter approval in 2026. Allocates retail transactions and use tax revenues to regional and local transit agencies per defined shares. Implements maintenance-of-effort rules and an adjudication framework with possible fund withholds.