(a) This section shall only apply to an individual operator that both has its primary service area in the Stanislaus Council of Governments’ jurisdiction and files claims with the Stanislaus Council of Governments pursuant to Section 99260.

(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, in determining if an individual operator complies with Section 99268.1, 99268.2, 99268.3, 99268.4, 99268.5, or 99268.9, the Stanislaus Council of Governments may reduce the applicable ratio of fare revenues to operating cost for an individual operator by up to five percentage points from the ratio that was effective during the 2015–16 fiscal year.

(2) The Stanislaus Council of Governments may use the calculation method described in this section for calculations beginning with the 2018–19 fiscal year.

(c) (1) If the Stanislaus Council of Governments reduces an individual operator’s ratio pursuant to this section, the Stanislaus Council of Governments, before January 1, 2020, shall submit a report to the transportation policy committee of each house of the Legislature and to the department analyzing the options for organizing and supporting transit service in the county.

(2) The report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) A description of the transit routes operating within the county.

(B) The service levels on those transit routes, including any planned expansions or consolidations.

(C) The ridership numbers for those transit routes.

(D) The annual budget numbers for the transit services provided by each individual operator in the county, including its ratio of fare revenues to operating cost and any salary increases since the enactment of this section.

(3) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(d) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2020, and, as of January 1, 2021, is repealed.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 107, Sec. 1. (SB 903) Effective July 16, 2018. Inoperative July 1, 2020. Repealed as of January 1, 2021, by its own provisions.)