8/29/05-A bill that sought to tax every shipping container passing through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and spend the money, in part, on rail facilities designed to move more cargo by rail has died.
SB760, sponsored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, remained in the Assembly Appropriations Committee past the Aug. 26 deadline to advance to the full chamber. The bill, which previously passed the Senate, can be brought up again from where it left off when the 2006 regular legislative session begins.
The bill would collect a $30 tax on every 20-foot container. The money would be divided up among several uses.
One-third of the money would go to the ports themselves. That portion would be spent on security improvements at the facilities.
The ports would be required to work with a bevy of security agencies – including the Coast Guard, the Homeland Security Department and various state agencies – to select which security improvements would be funded. However, the bill requires that part of the money be spent on screening shipping containers.
One-third of the money would go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which would use the money to cut back emissions from ships, trucks and rail facilities that the district determines are contributing to air pollution near the facility.
All of the money spent by the air quality district under the bill would have to be used at the two ports. The bill specifies that a portion of the money could be spent on “replacing highly-polluting engines with cleaner engines and retiring the engines that have been replaced.”
The rest of the money would go to the California Transportation Commission to “alleviate congestion on the highways serving the ports.” However, the bill says none of it can be actually spent on the highways; all of the money given to the commission under the bill would be required to be spent on improving the rail systems that serve the port to replace trucks that move containers over land.
In fact, the text of the bill says it would specifically “prohibit commission from using the funds to construct, maintain, or improve highways.”

7/12/05-The Assembly committees on Transportation and Natural Resources each endorsed a bill that would tax every shipping container passing through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and spend the money, in part, on rail facilities designed to move more cargo by rail.
SB760 has been sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It previously passed the Senate.
The bill would collect a $30 tax on every 20-foot container. The money would be divided up among several uses.
One-third of the money would go to the ports themselves. That portion would be spent on security improvements at the facilities.
The ports would be required to work with a bevy of security agencies – including the Coast Guard, the Homeland Security Department and various state agencies – to select which security improvements would be funded. However, the bill requires that part of the money be spent on screening shipping containers.
One-third of the money would go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which would use the money to cut back emissions from ships, trucks and rail facilities that the district determines are contributing to air pollution near the facility.
All of the money spent by the air quality district under the bill would have to be used at the two ports. The bill specifies that a portion of the money could be spent on “replacing highly-polluting engines with cleaner engines and retiring the engines that have been replaced.”
The rest of the money would go to the California Transportation Commission to “alleviate congestion on the highways serving the ports.” However, the bill says none of it can be actually spent on the highways; all of the money given to the commission under the bill would be required to be spent on improving the rail systems that serve the port to replace trucks that move containers over land.
In fact, the text of the bill says it would specifically “prohibit commission from using the funds to construct, maintain, or improve highways.”
For bill status, call (916) 445-4251.

6/9/05-The Senate voted 22-15 May 31 to advance a bill that would tax every shipping container passing through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and spend the money, in part, on rail facilities designed to move more cargo by rail.
Under SB760, sponsored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, the state would collect a $30 tax on every 20-foot container. The money would be divided up among several uses.
One-third of the money would go to the ports themselves. That portion would be spent on security improvements at the facilities.
The ports would be required to work with a bevy of security agencies – including the Coast Guard, the Homeland Security Department and various state agencies – to select which security improvements would be funded. However, the bill requires that part of the money be spent on screening shipping containers.
One-third of the money would go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which would use the money to cut back emissions from ships, trucks and rail facilities that the district determines are contributing to air pollution near the facility.
All of the money spent by the air quality district under the bill would have to be used at the two ports. The bill specifies that a portion of the money could be spent on “replacing highly-polluting engines with cleaner engines and retiring the engines that have been replaced.”
The rest of the money would go to the California Transportation Commission to “alleviate congestion on the highways serving the ports.” However, the bill says none of it can be actually spent on the highways; all of the money given to the commission under the bill would be required to be spent on improving the rail systems that serve the port to replace trucks that move containers over land.
In fact, the text of the bill says it would specifically “prohibit commission from using the funds to construct, maintain, or improve highways.”
For bill status, call (916) 445-4251.

4/27/05-The Senate Environmental Quality Committee voted 5-2 April 26 to approve a bill that would tax every shipping container passing through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and spend the money, in part, on rail facilities designed to replace port truckers.
SB760, sponsored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, has been re-referred to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration. It previously passed the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee.
Under SB760, the state would collect a $30 tax on every 20-foot container, and $60 on every 40-foot container. The money would be divided up among several uses.
One-third of the money would go to the ports themselves. That portion would be spent on security improvements at the facilities.
The ports would be required to work with a bevy of security agencies – including the Coast Guard, the Homeland Security Department and various state agencies – to select which security improvements would be funded. However, the bill requires that part of the money be spent on screening shipping containers.
One-third of the money would go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which would use the money to cut back emissions from ships, trucks and rail facilities that the district determines are contributing to air pollution near the facility.
All of the money spent by the air quality district under the bill would have to be used at the two ports. The bill specifies that a portion of the money could be spent on “replacing highly-polluting engines with cleaner engines and retiring the engines that have been replaced.”
The rest of the money would go to the California Transportation Commission to “alleviate congestion on the highways serving the ports.” However, the bill says none of it can be actually spent on the highways; all of the money given to the commission under the bill would be required to be spent on improving the rail systems that serve the port to replace trucks that move containers over land.
In fact, the text of the bill says it would specifically “prohibit commission from using the funds to construct, maintain, or improve highways.”
For Senate bill status, call (916) 445-4251.

4/14/05-The Senate Environmental Quality Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Monday, April 18, on a bill that would tax every shipping container passing through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and spend the money, in part, on rail facilities designed to replace port truckers.
Portions of the bill require some of the funds to be spent on measures to improve air quality issues at the ports.
SB760, which has already passed the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on a 9-3 vote, was proposed by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, chairman of the Committee on Environmental Quality.
Under the bill, the state would collect a $30 tax on every 20-foot container, and $60 on every 40-foot container. The money would be divided up among several uses.
One-third of the money would go to the ports themselves. That portion would be spent on security improvements at the facilities.
The ports would be required to work with a bevy of security agencies – including the Coast Guard, the Homeland Security Department and various state agencies – to select which security improvements would be funded. However, the bill requires that part of the money be spent on screening shipping containers.
One-third of the money would go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which would use the money to cut back emissions from ships, trucks and rail facilities that the district determines are contributing to air pollution near the facility.
All of the money spent by the air quality district under the bill would have to be used at the two ports. The bill specifies that a portion of the money could be spent on “replacing highly-polluting engines with cleaner engines and retiring the engines that have been replaced.”
The rest of the money would go to the California Transportation Commission to “alleviate congestion on the highways serving the ports.” However, the bill says none of it can be actually spent on the highways; all of the money given to the commission under the bill would be required to be spent on improving the rail systems that serve the port to replace trucks that move containers over land.
In fact, the text of the bill says it would specifically “prohibit commission from using the funds to construct, maintain, or improve highways.”
For Senate bill status, call (916) 445-4251.