(a) For funds appropriated from the Transit System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account for allocation to intercity and commuter rail operators eligible to receive funds pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8879.57, the Office of Emergency Services shall administer a grant application and award program for those intercity and commuter rail operators.
(b) Funds awarded to intercity and commuter rail operators pursuant to this section shall be for eligible capital expenditures as described in subdivision (c) of Section 8879.57.
(c) Prior to allocating funds to projects pursuant to this section, the office shall adopt guidelines to establish the criteria and process for the distribution of funds described in this section. Prior to adopting the guidelines, the office shall hold a public hearing on the proposed guidelines.
(d) For each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated for the purposes of this section, the office shall issue a notice of funding availability no later than October 1.
(e) No later than December 1 of each fiscal year in which the notice in subdivision (d) is issued, eligible intercity and commuter rail operators may submit project nominations for funding to the agency for its review and consideration. Project nominations shall include all of the following:
(1) A description of the project, which shall illustrate the physical components of the project and the security or emergency response benefit to be achieved by the completion of the project.
(2) Identification of all nonbond sources of funding committed to the project.
(3) An estimate of the project’s full cost and the proposed schedule for the project’s completion.
(f) No later than February 1, the office shall select eligible projects to receive grants under this section. Grants awarded to intercity and commuter rail operators pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8879.57 shall be for eligible capital expenditures, as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of that section.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 230. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)