Inventory of the California State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Records
Processed by Sarah Starke
California State Archives
© 2012
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the California State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Records
Collection numbers: LP426
California State ArchivesOffice of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Sarah Starke
- Date Completed:
- August 2011
- Encoded by:
- Brenda Newman
© 2012 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Title: California State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Records
Dates: 2005-2008
Collection number: LP426
Creator:
State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Records
Collection Size:
12.5 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee records consist of 12.5 cubic feet of textual and audiovisual records organized
into the following record series: Bill Files covering legislative sessions between 2005-2008; Hearing Files from 2005-2008;
Chronological Correspondence from 2005-2008; and Committee Bill Logs from 2005. The records reflect the activity of the committee
in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting transportation, housing and community development issues.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], Senate Transportation Committee Records, LP426: [folder number], California State Archives, Office
of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
The California State Archives acquired the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Records according to state law.
The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee is the most recent Senate committee to oversee legislation regarding the ownership
and operation of transportation vessels, state transportation agencies and organizations, general transportation matters at
both state and local levels and legislation regarding housing and community development in California.
The first committee to consider bills relating to transportation was the Senate Transportation Committee. Developed in 1949
by Senate Resolution 3, the Senate Transportation Committee was created to investigate "bills amending the a)Vehicle Code,
b) Streets and Highway Code, c) Harbors and Navigation Code, and d) Uncodified legislation relating to the same subjects or
to aviation." In 1975 the committee changed its scope to consider "bills relating to the operation, safety, equipment, transfer
of ownership, licensing, and registration of vehicles, aircraft, and vessels," "bills relating to the Department of Transportation
and the Department of Motor Vehicles," and "bills relating to waterways, harbors, highways, public transportation systems,
and airports."
The first committee that had housing matters under its purview was the Senate Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, created
by Senate Resolution 11 in January 1983 to consider "bills related to housing, community development, codes and standards,
fair housing, foreclosure, housing finances, manufactured housing, housing element, and the Subdivision Map Act." In 1995,
Senate Resolution 8 changed the committee's name to the Senate Housing and Land Use Committee and its scope broadened to consider
"bills relating to housing and land use." Finally, in December 1999 the Senate created the Senate Housing and Community Development
Committee with Senate Resolution 4, which changed the scope of the committee to consider "bills relating to housing and community
development."
In December 2004, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 4, which combined the Transportation and Housing committees to form
the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. The committee was created to investigate "bills relating to the operation,
safety, equipment, transfer of ownership, licensing and registration of vehicles, aircraft and vessels," "bills relating to
the Division of Highways and the Department of Motor Vehicles," "bills relating to waterways, harbors, highways, public transportation
systems, and airports" and "bills relating to housing and community redevelopment."
The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee consisted of 14 members. The chairs of the committee were:
Tom Torlakson (Dem.) in 2005
Alan Lowenthal (Dem.) from 2006-2008
The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee records consist of 12.5 cubic feet of textual and audiovisual records organized
into the following record series: Bill Files covering legislative sessions between 2005-2008; Hearing Files from 2005-2008;
Chronological Correspondence from 2005-2008; and Committee Bill Logs from 2005. The records reflect the activity of the committee
in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting transportation, housing and community development issues.
The bill files document the legislation directed to the committee. The files include committee analysis, letters from interested
parties, and the comments of affected agencies. These files show the close involvement of the committee in such issues as
the Federal "Real ID Act" HR 1286 (SB60, 2005-2006), seismic retrofitting (SB172, 2005-2006), the Military Personnel Privacy
Protection Act of 2006, Donate Life (SB681, 2005-2006), abandoned vehicle abatement (SB1225, 2005-2006), renewable fuel regulations
(SB1511, 2005-2006), special license plates (AB84, 2005-2006), smog check reform, mobilehome park conversion (SB900, 2007-2008),
The Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2006 (AB382, 2007-2008), and others.
The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee considered bills that generated a substantial community response. The committee
played an important role in creating neighborhood electric vehicle plans in Northern California (SB956, 2007-2008); establishing
a recycled material tracking system for Caltrans (SB735, 2007-2008); protecting workers by increasing the fines and penalties
associated with double-fine zones (SB254, 2005-2006); regulating traffic violator schools (AB107, 2005-2006),; and protecting
California consumers from purchasing flood damaged cars salvaged from post-Katrina Louisiana (AB 1854, 2005-2006). The bill
files also reflect the committee's close involvement with various interest groups and agencies such as the California Chamber
of Commerce, the League of California Cities, California Association of Realtors, Western Center on Law and Poverty, California
Gray Panthers, Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Sierra Club, California Motor Car Dealers Association, and others.
The committee conducted hearings, special hearings, and interim hearings on issues such as migratory fish passage, hot rod
lifting, the Federal Real ID Act, the Governor's budget, housing opportunity plans, earthquake safety and other various legislative
bills. These hearings, their agendas, committee notes, roll call votes, bill amendments, action reports and related information
are included in the hearing files. Chronological Correspondence include general correspondence organized by year regarding
job applications, hearings, meetings, correspondence to Governor Schwarzenegger urging his signature on specific legislation,
and letters to Congress. Committee Bill Logs include specific information on bills heard by the committee in 2005.
Together, these records reflect the committee's attempt to balance the varied and sometimes conflicting demands of California's
citizens for responsible and affordable transportation and housing, safe and secure communities, public safety issues, and
environmental protection.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
California. Legislature. Senate. Committee on Transportation and Housing
California. Legislature. Senate. Committee on Transportation
California. Dept. of Housing and Community Development
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Assembly Transportation Committee Records, 1954-2006
Assembly Interim Transportation and Commerce Committee, 1945-1969
Assembly Transportation and Commerce Committee, 1945-1969
Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Records, 1975-1984
Assembly Urban Development and Housing Committee Records, 1968-1974
Senate Transportation Committee, 1948-2004
Senate Housing and Land Use Committee Records, 1977-1998
Senate Housing and Community Development Committee, 1999-2004
LP426:1-192
Series 1 Bill Files 2005-2008
Physical Description: 192 file folders, 4 DVDs
Access Information
Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.
Arrangement
Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.
Scope and Content Note
Bill Files created by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions,
author's statements, testimony, press releases, editorials and newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements,
and other information. Some of the most important bills were AB3034 (2007-2008, high speed rail), AB1542 (2007-2008, mobilehome
park conversions), AB830 (2007-2008, digital conversions of billboards), SB1511 (2005-2006, renewable fuel regulations), AB578
(2005-2006, smog check reform), SB670 (2007-2008, real property transfer fees), and AB2794 (2005-2006, auto broker fee disclosure).
DVDs and CDs included in the Bill Files have been moved to a cold-storage vault for preservation purposes and separation sheets
are included in the file folders to alert the researcher to the existence of the tapes.
The Bill Files also show the committee's close involvement with state and local agencies and interest groups such as Coalition
for Clean Air, American Civil Liberties Union, California State Association of Counties, California Teamsters Public Affairs
Council, California Building Industry Association, Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, California Trade
Coalition, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Jericho, and American Planning Association.
2005-2006: SB3-SB1841, SCA87, SCR5-SCR130, SJR1-38, SR8 (43 ff) LP426:1-43
2005-2006: AB84-AB3042, ACR5-ACR157, AJR16-AJR47 (52 ff) LP426:44-95
2007-2008: SB2-SB1731, SCR3-SCR120 (44 ff) LP426:96-139
2007-2008: AB15-AB3064, ACR4-ACR144, AJR21-AJR53 (53 ff) LP426:140-192
See Appendix A for LP numbers
Series 2 Hearing Files 2005-2008
Physical Description: 83 file folders
Arrangement
Hearing Files are arranged chronologically by date of hearing.
Scope and Content Note
Hearing Files include agendas, roll call votes, bill amendments, action reports, and working files for regular session hearings,
interim hearings, and joint hearings. The files contain information from hearings on earthquake safety for bridges, alternative
fuels, the Governor's budget, and digital conversions of billboards, affordable housing, and more.
See Appendix A in the master finding aid at the California State Archives for a list of hearing dates and topics.
LP426:274-275-250
Series 3 Chronological Correspondence 2005-2006
Physical Description: 2 file folders
Arrangement
Chronological Correspondence is arranged chronologically by year.
Scope and Content Note
Chronological Correspondence files include data, notes, legal and business contracts, academic and organization reports and
studies, constituent and agency correspondence. The files include letters regarding job applications, hearings, meetings,
memorandum, letters to Governor Schwarzenegger, letters to Congress, and correspondence within the State Legislature and staff
members. Correspondence topics range from transportation to housing and development issues affecting California.
LP426:276
Series 4 Committee Bill Logs 2005
Physical Description: 1 file folder
Arrangement
Committee Bill Logs are arranged chronologically by year.
Scope and Content Note
Committee Bill Logs include measures logged into the committee and reports on hearings and votes.