(a) For purposes of the special election to be conducted pursuant to this section, the authority shall select an amount of the proposed increase in the toll rate, not to exceed three dollars ($3), for vehicles crossing the bridges described in Section 30910 to be placed on the ballot for approval by the voters.
(b) The toll rate for vehicles crossing the bridges described in Section 30910 shall not be increased by the rate selected by the authority pursuant to subdivision (a) prior to the availability of the results of a special election to be held in the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma to determine whether the residents of those counties and of the City and County of San Francisco approve the toll increase.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of the Elections Code, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco and of each of the counties described in subdivision (b) shall call a special election to be conducted in the City and County of San Francisco and in each of the counties that shall be consolidated with a statewide primary or general election, which shall be selected by the authority.
(2) The authority shall determine the ballot question, which shall include the amount of the proposed toll increase selected pursuant to subdivision (a) and a summary of the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan. The ballot question shall be submitted to the voters as Regional Measure 3 and stated separately in the ballot from state and local measures.
(d) The ballot pamphlet for the special election shall include a summary of the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan regarding the eligible projects and programs to be funded pursuant to Section 30914.7. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission shall prepare a summary of the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan.
(e) The county clerks shall report the results of the special election to the authority. If a majority of all voters voting on the question at the special election vote affirmatively, the authority may phase in the increased toll schedule consistent with subdivision (c) of Section 30916.
(f) If a majority of all the voters voting on the question at the special election do not approve the toll increase, the authority may by resolution resubmit the measure to the voters at a subsequent statewide primary or general election. If a majority of all of the voters vote affirmatively on the measure, the authority may adopt the toll increase and establish its effective date and establish the completion dates for all reports and studies required by Sections 30914.7 and 30950.3.
(g) (1) Each county and city and county shall share translation services for the ballot pamphlet and shall provide the authority a certified invoice that details the incremental cost of including the measure on the ballot, as well as the total costs associated with the election.
(2) The authority shall reimburse each county and city and county participating in the election for the incremental cost of submitting the measure to the voters. These costs shall be reimbursed from revenues derived from the tolls if the measure is approved by the voters, or, if the measure is not approved, from any bridge toll revenues administered by the authority.
(h) (1) If the voters approve a toll increase pursuant to this section, the authority shall establish an independent oversight committee within six months of the effective date of the toll increase to ensure that any toll revenues generated pursuant to this section are expended consistent with the applicable requirements set forth in Section 30914.7.
(2) The oversight committee shall include two representatives from each county within the jurisdiction of the commission. Each representative shall be appointed by the applicable county board of supervisors and serve a four-year term and shall be limited to two terms. The oversight committee shall annually review the expenditure of funds by the authority for the projects and programs specified in Section 30914.7 and prepare and submit a report to the transportation committee of each house of the Legislature summarizing its findings. The oversight committee may request any documents from the authority to assist the committee in performing its functions.
(3) A representative appointed to the oversight committee shall not be a member, former member, staff, or former staff of the commission or the authority, shall not be employed by any organization or person that has received or is receiving funding from the commission or the authority, and shall not be a former employee or a person who has contracted with any organization or person that has received or is receiving funding from the commission or the authority within one year of having worked for or contracted with that organization or person.
(i) If voters approve a toll increase pursuant to this section, the authority shall annually prepare a report to the Legislature, in conformance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on the status of the projects and programs funded pursuant to Section 30914.7.
(j) Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 30916 and Section 30918, the toll increase adopted by the authority pursuant to this section shall not be changed without statutory authorization by the Legislature.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 16, Sec. 1. (AB 1041) Effective January 1, 2019.)