Mike McGuire
- Democratic
- Senator
- District 2
Author
(1) Existing law creates the Great Redwood Trail Agency with various powers and duties relating to rail service in the north coast area of the state, including the authority to acquire, own, lease, and operate railroad lines and equipment, and requires the agency, to the extent funding is available, to initiate or complete a railbanking process on its rail rights-of-way and to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain a trail in, or parallel to, its rail rights-of-way. For purposes of these provisions, existing law grants the agency specified powers including, among others, the power to enter into and perform all necessary contracts in accordance with certain requirements. Under existing law, the authority is governed by a board of directors composed of nonvoting members appointed by the Governor and 9 voting members appointed by various local governments in the north coast area including a city representative selected by the cities served by the authority's rail line. This bill would expressly state that the agency is a subdivision of the state and would require the city representative to be selected by the cities through a process adopted by the board. The bill would require the board to adopt an annual budget and to provide for regular audits of the agency's accounts and records and to maintain accounting records and report accounting transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as specified. The bill would require a contract and prescribe competitive bidding procedures for any work, as defined, not performed by the personnel of the agency if the agency estimates the work to cost over a specified threshold, as prescribed. This bill would exempt the agency, except with respect to the development of any projects on properties that are not owned or directly controlled by the agency, from building ordinances and zoning ordinances of the counties and cities in the jurisdiction of the agency. The bill would exempt certain uses of agency real property by third parties from laws governing the disposition of surplus property. The bill would exempt railroad tracks and ties owned by the agency from laws governing the control of hazardous waste if they remain in place within the agency's right-of-way, as specified. (2) Existing law authorizes the agency to contract with the State Coastal Conservancy, a state agency, or another organization to staff the agency. This bill would also authorize the agency to receive funds from the conservancy or any other state agency as may be appropriated by the Legislature. (3) Existing law authorizes the agency to adopt ordinances and to adopt and enforce rules and regulations for the administration, operation, use, and maintenance of trails, excursion rail service, and other recreational facilities and programs, as specified. The bill would authorize the agency to contract with state law enforcement agencies, or local law enforcement agencies of jurisdictions within the service area of the agency, to enforce the adopted rules, regulations, and ordinances of the agency. (4) Existing law requires the ancillary bicycle and pedestrian pathways that provide connections between and access to Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District station sites and the district's other pathways to be known as "The Great Redwood Trail, Southern Segment." This bill would require the planned bike and pedestrian pathway running from the district's station in the City of Larkspur to the northern terminus of the Golden Gate Bridge in the County of Marin to be known as the Great Redwood Trail. (5) By imposing additional duties on the Great Redwood Trail Agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. 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.
Approved by the Governor.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 424, Statutes of 2025.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3443.) Ordered to the Senate.
Joint Rule 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1523.) Ordered to the Assembly.
Ordered to special consent calendar.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1211.) (May 23).
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
Set for hearing May 23.
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Set for hearing May 12.
May 5 hearing postponed by committee.
Set for hearing May 5.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 839.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
Set for hearing April 22.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
Read first time.
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB727 | HTML |
| 02/21/25 - Introduced | |
| 03/26/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 04/21/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 05/23/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 09/18/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/06/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/18/25- Senate Natural Resources and Water | |
| 05/09/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 05/23/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 05/27/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 07/03/25- Assembly Transportation | |
| 08/18/25- Assembly Appropriations | |
| 09/02/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS |
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