California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill
AB 599: Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program.
Passed one chamber Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
AB 599 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 13, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program. Primary sponsor: Damon Connolly (D). Most recent recorded action (August 3, 2026): In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.
Existing law requires the California Transportation Commission to establish a competitive funding program, commonly known as the Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program, to provide funds to the Department of Transportation or regional transportation planning agencies, or both, for short-line railroad projects such as railroad reconstruction, maintenance, upgrade, or replacement. Existing law appropriates up to $7,200,000 from the Trade Corridors Improvement Fund to the program and makes those moneys available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2028.
This bill would extend the availability of those moneys for expenditure by one year. By extending the expenditure date of those moneys, the bill would make an appropriation.
In order to receive funding from the Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program, existing law requires at least 30% of the total project cost to be provided from nongovernmental sources.
This bill would authorize, for a project under the program for a publicly owned railroad, those funds to be provided from private funds, local funds, or state or federal funds not allocated by the commission on a project-specific basis.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damon Connolly | Primary sponsor | Democratic | Assembly | 12 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
- Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
- Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
- Withdrawn from committee.
- From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
- In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- Referred to Com. on E.Q.
- In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
- Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1839.)
- Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
- From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).