Report 2018-104 Recommendation Responses
Report 2018-104: Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program: The State Could Save Millions of Dollars Annually by Implementing Lessons Learned (Release Date: August 2018)
Recommendation for Legislative Action
To ensure that large transportation infrastructure projects throughout the State benefit from appropriate oversight, the Legislature should require that all publicly funded major transportation infrastructure construction projects estimated to cost $500 million or more, have oversight committees subject to open meeting laws. When practical, each oversight committee should include individuals from at least three major agencies involved in the project, with roles that reflect financial interests as well as project execution and oversight. Further, when possible, each committee should include at least five members to support its ability to conduct day-to-day business without violating open meeting law requirements. The oversight committees should act as the authorities for critical decisions and have sufficient staff to support their decision-making roles.
Description of Legislative Action
The Legislature did not take action in the 2021-2022 legislative session to address this specific recommendation.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: November 2022
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: No Action Taken
Description of Legislative Action
AB 1277 (Obernolte) would have required a public agency administering a megaproject—defined as a transportation project with total estimated development and construction costs exceeding $1 billion—to establish a project oversight committee composed of specified individuals to review the megaproject and perform other specified duties. This bill died in the Assembly.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: August 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Legislation Proposed But Not Enacted
Description of Legislative Action
AB 1277 (Obernolte), as amended on March 19, 2019, would require a public agency principally tasked with administering, planning, developing, and operating a transportation project with total estimated development and construction costs exceeding one billion dollars to establish a project oversight committee composed of at least three directors, or their designees, with one member each from the administering agency and two other public agencies involved in the project. The committee would be subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act or the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: August 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Legislation Introduced
Description of Legislative Action
Assembly Bill 1277 (Obernolte) was introduced on February 21, 2019, and would require a public agency undertaking a publicly funded major transportation infrastructure construction project that is estimated to cost $500 million or more to form an oversight committee subject to applicable open meeting laws and to develop and use risk management plans throughout the course of the project. The bill would require the oversight committee to be composed of specified individuals, to act as the authority for critical decisions regarding the project, and to have sufficient staff to support decision making.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: February 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Legislation Introduced
Description of Legislative Action
The Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: October 2018