AB-377 • 2026

High-Speed Rail Authority: business plan: Merced to Bakersfield segment.

Budget

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Tangipa
Last action: 2025-07-30
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 81, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify how much funding is required, where it will come from, or provide details on implementation strategies.

High-Speed Rail Business Plan: Merced to Bakersfield

This law requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to create a detailed business plan for the Merced to Bakersfield segment of California's high-speed rail project, including an updated estimate of funding needs and strategies to address any funding gap.

What This Bill Does

Requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to make a business plan for the Merced to Bakersfield part of the high-speed train system.
Includes an updated estimate of how much money is needed to finish this part of the project in the business plan.
Needs the authority to explain how they will address any funding gap for completing the segment.

Who It Names or Affects

The High-Speed Rail Authority

Terms To Know

High-Speed Rail Authority: A group that is responsible for planning, building, and running high-speed trains in California.
Funding gap: The difference between the money needed to complete a project and the money currently available.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how much funding is required or where it will come from.
Does not provide details on how the High-Speed Rail Authority will implement their strategies for addressing the funding gap.
The effectiveness of the business plan and its impact on project completion are uncertain.

Bill History

2025-07-30 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 81, Statutes of 2025.
2025-07-30 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-07-18 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.
2025-07-14 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 2532.).
2025-07-03 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-07-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 1933.).
2025-07-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-06-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-06-10 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1485.)
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 30).
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-02-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-02-04 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.
2025-02-03 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 377, Tangipa.
High-Speed Rail Authority: business plan: Merced to Bakersfield segment.
The California High-Speed Rail Act creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties. The act requires the authority to prepare, publish, adopt, and submit to the Legislature a business plan containing specified elements on a biennial basis and to also provide on a biennial basis a project update report, approved by the Secretary of Transportation as consistent with specified criteria, to the budget committees and the appropriate policy committees of both houses of the Legislature, on the development and implementation of intercity high-speed train service, as provided. The act requires the authority to develop schedules for the delivery of specified tasks relating to the Merced to Bakersfield segment of the high-speed rail project for inclusion in the project update report and the business plan and
also requires the authority to include certain other information in the project update report and the business plan relating to the Merced to Bakersfield segment, as provided.
This bill would require the authority, as part of the business plan that is due on or before May 1, 2026, to provide a detailed funding plan for the Merced to Bakersfield segment that includes certain information, including an updated estimate of the funding gap for completing the segment and a strategy for addressing the funding gap.

Current Bill Text

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