Overview

• Lawmakers placed SB 445 on the Assembly’s suspense file on Aug. 29, effectively killing the proposal without a floor vote.
• Authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill sought to accelerate construction by streamlining permits and right-of-way acquisitions for the state’s high-speed rail project.
• An Inspector General report cited permitting and land negotiations as a source of significant schedule delays for the project.
• Local governments and utilities opposed the measure, which was heavily amended, gutted after leaving the Senate, and rushed through three Assembly hearings in one week.
• Wiener called the decision unfortunate and pledged a new attempt next year as the long-delayed project contends with a projected $12 billion state budget deficit.