Assembly BillChaptered/SignedPublic Utilities
AB 1919: Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District: transactions and use tax: qualified voter initiative.
What AB 1919 does, verified August 8, 2026
The bill aims to add new sections to the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation. It would allow the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District to impose transactions and use taxes by a qualified voter initiative. The special election for a tax measure would be consolidated with a statewide general election and the county elections official would serve as the district's elections official. The bill requires reimbursement for costs mandated by the state if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains such costs. The bill declares that it takes effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 107, Statutes of 2026. (2026-08-06)Alert me
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| Aug. 06, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 107, Statutes of 2026. |
| Aug. 06, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Aug. 04, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| Aug. 03, 2026 | In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. |
| Aug. 03, 2026 | Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 27. Noes 8.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, August 6, 2026 · 1,026 words
Assembly Bill No. 1919
CHAPTER 107
An act to add Sections 98290.1 and 98290.2 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
[ Approved by Governor August 06, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State August 06, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1919, Pellerin. Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District: transactions and use tax: qualified voter initiative.
Existing law provides for the establishment of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, with specified powers and duties related to the operation of public transit services serving the County of Santa Cruz. Existing law, among other things, authorizes the board of directors of the district to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law by an ordinance approved by the electors voting on the measure at a special election called by the board of directors for that purpose.
This bill would also authorize those special taxes to be imposed by a qualified voter initiative. The bill would require the special election for a tax measure proposed by the board of directors or a qualified voter initiative to be consolidated with a statewide general election by the board of supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz and would require the tax measure to be submitted to the voters in accordance with specified elections provisions. The bill would also require the county elections official for the County of Santa Cruz to serve as the elections official of the district for purposes of administering the ballot measure process and any election for purposes of specified provisions of law. To the extent that the bill would impose additional duties on a county elections official, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 98290.1 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:98290.1.
Notwithstanding any other law, the special taxes authorized in this article may also be imposed by qualified voter initiative, including a qualified voter initiative for which a petition has been circulated on or after January 1, 2026.SEC. 2.
Section 98290.2 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:98290.2.
(a) If the board or a qualified voter initiative proposes a measure pursuant to this article, the special election shall be consolidated with a statewide election by the board of supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz and the measure shall be submitted to the voters of the County of Santa Cruz.(b) For the purpose of placement of a measure on the ballot, the district is a “district,” as defined in Section 317 of the Elections Code. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a measure proposed by the board or by a qualified voter initiative that requires voter approval shall be submitted to the voters of the County of Santa Cruz, as determined by the district, in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code applicable to districts, including the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9300) of Division 9 of the Elections Code.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10520 of the Elections Code, for any election at which the board or a qualified voter initiative proposes a measure pursuant to this article, the district shall reimburse the County of Santa Cruz for the incremental costs incurred by the county elections official related to submitting the measure to the voters with any eligible funds transferred to the district.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “incremental costs” includes all of the following:
(A) The cost to prepare, review, and revise the impartial analysis of the measure.
(B) The cost to prepare a translation of ballot materials into a language other than English by the county.
(C) The additional costs that exceed the costs incurred for other election races or ballot measures, if any, appearing on the same ballot in the County of Santa Cruz, including both of the following:
(i) The printing and mailing of ballot materials.
(ii) The canvass of the vote regarding the measure pursuant to Division 15 (commencing with Section 15000) of the Elections Code.
(d) Notwithstanding Section 9313 of the Elections Code, the legal counsel for the board shall prepare an impartial analysis of the measure. The impartial analysis prepared by the legal counsel for the board shall be subject to review and revision by the county counsel.
(e) The county elections official for the County of Santa Cruz shall serve as the elections official of the district for purposes of administering the ballot measure process and any election for the purposes set forth in this chapter.
(f) This section applies to any measure proposed by the board on or after January 1, 2026, or by a qualified voter initiative for which a petition has been circulated on or after January 1, 2026.
SEC. 3.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.SEC. 4.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:In order to avert a reduction in transit service provided by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, and to address the financial condition of that district through a tax measure proposed by a qualified voter initiative to be approved in an election occurring in 2026, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
Text of AB 1919 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions