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.
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.
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.
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
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 take by the AC Transit Board of Director during this legislative session.
State Legislative Positions
| Bill Number | Bill Description | Board Position Taken | Date Position Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
Federal Legislative Positions
| Bill Number | Bill Description | Board Position Taken | Date Position Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |