SB-1177 • 2026

High-Speed Rail Authority: project update report.

Budget Taxes

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Cortese
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on how often these new report requirements must be included, leaving this detail uncertain.

High-Speed Rail Authority: Project Update Report

This law requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to include additional details in their project update reports, such as financing assumptions, schedule comparisons with past reports, potential revenue sources, and international benchmarks.

What This Bill Does

Requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to explain how they calculate funding for the rail project.
Asks the authority to compare current schedules with those from previous reports in their report.
Requests an analysis of possible extra income sources for the project.
Needs the authority to look at similar projects around the world and include that information.

Who It Names or Affects

The High-Speed Rail Authority

Terms To Know

High-Speed Rail Authority: A group in charge of planning and building a fast train system in California.
Project update report: A document that gives updates on the progress and plans for the high-speed rail project.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how often these new requirements must be included in reports.
It is unclear if this law will change how much money the project gets or when it might finish.

Bill History

2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
2026-04-10 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 20.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-17 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 7.
2026-02-26 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
2026-02-19 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1177, as introduced, Cortese.
High-Speed Rail Authority: project update report.
Existing law, 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. Existing law requires the authority to biennially provide a project update report to the Legislature on the development and implementation of intercity high-speed train service. Existing law requires the project update report to include, among other things, the baseline budget for all project phase costs, by segment or contract, and a comparison of the current and projected work schedule and the baseline schedule contained in the California High-Speed Rail Program Revised 2012 Business Plan.
This bill would additionally require the project update report to include (1) an explanation of the assumptions used for financing methods calculations, (2) a comparison of the
current and projected work schedule to projected schedules in previous project update reports, (3) an analysis of potential ancillary revenue sources, and (4) a comparison and benchmarking of cost, scope, and timeline to international high-speed rail projects.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF