Transportation board may insure public passenger rail contracts

The transportation enterprise board may arrange insurance and pay deductibles or similar charges for a public passenger rail contract. The insurance may cover the transportation enterprise, a rail facility provider, a rail operator, or both, under a public passenger rail service contract. Before using this authority, the board must find that the contract serves a valid public purpose and that its limited risks are outweighed by its benefits. Payments must come from revenue available for them, and existing contractual limits on pledged revenue remain in place. The provision does not affect public entities’ immunities or defenses. The act is scheduled to take effect August 12, 2026, unless a referendum petition is filed; any challenged part would then need voter approval in November 2026.

The air pollution mitigation enterprise may design, build, manage, maintain, and operate eligible projects. These powers apply to the nonattainment area air pollution mitigation enterprise and its eligible projects. Projects must serve the enterprise’s purpose of reducing traffic or air pollution in nonattainment areas. The act is scheduled to take effect August 12, 2026, unless a referendum petition is filed; any challenged part would then need voter approval in November 2026.

The law defines toll evasion to include avoiding a toll and entering or leaving a toll lane outside designated points. The definition applies to tolls and toll lanes. Entering or leaving improperly includes swerving between a toll lane and a general-purpose lane, whether or not a toll was charged or paid. The act is scheduled to take effect August 12, 2026, unless a referendum petition is filed; any challenged part would then need voter approval in November 2026.