The Legislature, through the enactment of this section, intends to establish a policy for the use of all transportation funds that are available to the state, including the State Highway Account, the Public Transportation Account, and federal funds. For the purposes of this section, “federal funds” means any obligational authority to be provided under annual federal transportation appropriations acts. The department and the commission shall prepare fund estimates pursuant to Sections 14524 and 14525 of the Government Code based on the following:

(a) Annual expenditures for the administration of the department shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act, adjusted for inflation.

(b) Annual expenditures for the maintenance and operation of the state highway system shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act, adjusted for inflation and inventory, or, when a maintenance plan has been enacted pursuant to Section 164.6, maintenance expenditures shall be based on planned expenditures in that plan.

(c) Annual expenditure for the rehabilitation of the state highway system shall be the same as the most recent Budget Act, or, when a long-range rehabilitation plan has been enacted pursuant to Section 164.6, shall be based on planned expenditures in that long-range plan.

(d) Annual expenditures for local assistance shall be the amount required to fund local assistance programs required by state or federal law or regulations, including, but not limited to, railroad grade crossing maintenance, bicycle transportation account, congestion mitigation and air quality, regional surface transportation programs, local highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation, local seismic retrofit, local hazard elimination and safety, and local emergency relief.

(e) After deducting expenditures for administration, operation, maintenance, local assistance, safety, and rehabilitation pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and for expenditures pursuant to Section 164.56, the remaining funds shall be available for capital improvement projects to be programmed in the state transportation improvement program.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 212, Sec. 5. Effective August 11, 2004.)