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<ns0:Description>
<ns0:Id>20250AB__191999INT</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>99</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-12</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1919</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>INT</ns0:MeasureState>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Members Pellerin and Addis</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthor: Senator Laird)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Pellerin</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Addis</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Laird</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Sections 98290.1 and 98290.2 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>transportation, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District: transactions and use tax: qualified voter initiative.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law provides for the establishment of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, with specified powers and duties related to the operation of public transit services serving the County of Santa Cruz. Existing law, among other things, authorizes the board of directors of the district to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law by an ordinance approved by the electors voting on the measure at a special election called by the board of directors for that purpose.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would also authorize those special taxes to be imposed by a qualified voter initiative. The bill would require the special election for a tax measure proposed by the board of directors or a qualified voter initiative to be consolidated with a statewide general election by the board of supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz
and would require the tax measure to be submitted to the voters in accordance with specified elections provisions. The bill would also require the county elections official for the County of Santa Cruz to serve as the elections official of the district for purposes of administering the ballot measure process and any election for purposes of specified provisions of law. To the extent that the bill would impose additional duties on a county elections official, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the
statutory provisions noted above.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.</html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>TWO_THIRDS</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
<ns0:ImmediateEffect>YES</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
<ns0:Urgency>YES</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_F191BED5-9F6D-422B-94CA-2FCD834DC116">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 98290.1 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_F1DF471F-B8E2-49DA-81AA-F4CE0D8D0A7E">
<ns0:Num>98290.1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_50113505-D4B1-47D6-86B0-504DC8C5C716">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>Notwithstanding any other law, the special taxes authorized in this article may also be imposed by qualified voter initiative, including a qualified voter initiative for which a petition has been circulated on or after January 1, 2026.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 98290.2 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
</ns0:ActionLine>
<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_5085E2C6-D7F4-485D-B2CA-70FD616E6A3B">
<ns0:Num>98290.2.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the board or a qualified voter initiative proposes a measure pursuant to this article, the special election shall be consolidated with a statewide election by the board of supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz and the measure shall be submitted to the voters of the County of Santa Cruz.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For the purpose of placement of a measure on the ballot, the district is a “district,” as defined in Section 317 of the Elections Code. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a measure proposed by the board or by a qualified voter initiative that requires voter approval shall be submitted to the voters of the County of Santa Cruz, as determined by the district, in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code applicable to districts,
including the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9300) of Division 9 of the Elections Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Notwithstanding Section 10520 of the Elections Code, for any election at which the board or a qualified voter initiative proposes a measure pursuant to this article, the district shall reimburse the County of Santa Cruz for the incremental costs incurred by the county elections official related to submitting the measure to the voters with any eligible funds transferred to the district.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of this subdivision, “incremental costs” includes all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The cost to prepare, review, and revise the impartial analysis of the measure.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The cost to prepare a translation of ballot materials into a
language other than English by the county.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The additional costs that exceed the costs incurred for other election races or ballot measures, if any, appearing on the same ballot in the County of Santa Cruz, including both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The printing and mailing of ballot materials.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(ii)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The canvass of the vote regarding the measure pursuant to Division 15 (commencing with Section 15000) of the Elections Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Notwithstanding Section 9313 of the Elections Code, the legal counsel for the board shall prepare an impartial analysis of the measure. The impartial analysis prepared by the legal counsel for the board shall be subject to review and revision by the county counsel.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The county elections official for the County of Santa Cruz shall serve as the elections official of the district for purposes of administering the ballot measure process and any election for the purposes set forth in this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section applies to any measure proposed by the board on or after January 1, 2026, or by a qualified voter initiative for which a petition has been circulated on or after January 1, 2026.
</html:p>
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</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_08CCB81E-4AF3-40D4-8E5A-0876DEEBD9CE">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_E83AE676-8AD6-48E9-B3B3-25B8758CAD72">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:</html:p>
<html:p>In order to avert a reduction in transit service provided by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, and to address the financial condition of that district through a tax measure proposed by a qualified voter initiative to be approved in an election occurring in 2026, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.</html:p>
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