Page:Road Repair and Accountability Act.pdf/7

'''—7— Ch. 5''' diesel particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and other criteria pollutants from in-use diesel-fueled vehicles. The bill would authorize the department to allow registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, for any diesel-fueled vehicle that has been reported to the State Air Resources Board, and is using an approved exemption, or is compliant with applicable air pollution control technology requirements, pursuant to specified provisions.

Existing law authorizes the department, in its discretion, to issue a temporary permit to operate a vehicle when a payment of fees has been accepted in an amount to be determined by the department and paid to the department by the owner or other person in lawful possession of the vehicle.

This bill would additionally authorize the department to issue a temporary permit to operate a vehicle for which registration is otherwise required to be refused under the provisions of the bill, as prescribed.

(14) The bill would enact other related provisions.

(15) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Appropriation: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Over the next 10 years, the state faces a $59 billion shortfall to adequately maintain the existing state highway system in order to keep it in a basic state of good repair.

(b) Similarly, cities and counties face a $78 billion shortfall over the next decade to adequately maintain the existing network of local streets and roads.

(c) Statewide taxes and fees dedicated to the maintenance of the system have not been increased in more than 20 years, with those revenues losing more than 55 percent of their purchasing power, while costs to maintain the system have steadily increased and much of the underlying infrastructure has aged past its expected useful life.

(d) California motorists are spending $17 billion annually in extra maintenance and car repair bills, which is more than $700 per driver, due to the state’s poorly maintained roads.

(e) Failing to act now to address this growing problem means that more drastic measures will be required to maintain our system in the future, essentially passing the burden on to future generations instead of doing our job today.

(f) A funding program will help address a portion of the maintenance backlog on the state’s road system and will stop the growth of the problem.

(g) Modestly increasing various fees can spread the cost of road repairs broadly to all users and beneficiaries of the road network without overburdening any one group.

(h) Improving the condition of the state’s road system will have a positive impact on the economy as it lowers the transportation costs of doing business,

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