(a) The Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury.

(b) All revenues, interest, penalties, and other amounts collected pursuant to this article shall be deposited into the fund, less refunds and reimbursement to the board for expenses incurred in the administration and collection of the fee.

(c) The adoption of regulations pursuant to this section shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law as an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general welfare. Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2, emergency regulations adopted by the director and the board pursuant to this section shall be filed with, but not repealed by, the Office of Administrative Law and shall remain in effect until revised or repealed by the director.

(d) The fund shall be used to reimburse the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund for any moneys loaned from the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund to the fund to pay for the Office of Emergency Service’s administrative costs associated with implementation of the fee pursuant to this article.

(e) All moneys remaining in the fund after reimbursement of the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund pursuant to subdivision (d) shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be used by the director to pay for the following purposes related to the transportation of hazardous materials:

(1) Planning, developing, and maintaining a capability for large-scale hazardous materials releases emergency response relating to railroad accidents involving rail cars carrying hazardous materials, including the risks of explosions and fires.

(2) Planning, developing, and maintaining a capability for large-scale hazardous materials releases emergency response relating to releases of hazardous materials from rail cars, including reducing the harmful effects of exposure of those materials to humans and the environment.

(3) Creation, support, maintenance, and implementation of the Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Force created by Section 8574.48.

(4) Acquisition and maintenance of specialized equipment and supplies used to respond to a hazardous materials release from a rail car or a railroad accident involving a rail car.

(5) Support of specialized regional training facilities to prepare for and respond to a hazardous materials release from a rail car or a railroad accident involving a rail car.

(6) Creation and support of a regional, state level, and local emergency response team to provide immediate onsite response capabilities in the event of large-scale releases of hazardous materials from a rail car or a railroad accident involving a rail car.

(7) Support for specialized training for state and local emergency response officials in techniques for prevention of, and response to, release of hazardous materials from a rail car or a railroad accident involving a rail car.

(f) For each of the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 fiscal years, the amount available for appropriation from the fund shall not exceed twenty million dollars ($20,000,000). For the 2017–18 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount available for appropriation from the fund shall not exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000).

(g) (1) For the 2016 calendar year, the director shall have the authority to collect an amount not to exceed twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for deposit into the fund, which shall be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for repayment of loans provided from the California High Cost Fund B Administrative Committee and for purposes related to the transportation of hazardous materials by rail cars pursuant to subdivision (e).

(2) For the calendar year 2017, the director shall have the authority to collect an amount not to exceed twenty million dollars for deposit into the fund, which shall be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes related to the transportation of hazardous materials by rail cars pursuant to subdivision (e).

(3) (A) Commencing on January 1, 2018, and following an initial review of the amount of the fee by the industry advisory committee established pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 8574.32 and an initial reconsideration of the amount of the fee by the director pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 8574.32, the director shall have the authority to collect an amount not to exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000) annually for deposit into the fund.

(B) For calendar years subsequent to the 2018 calendar year, the director shall reconsider the amount of the fee pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 8574.32.

(h) The board shall inform the director if the amount of fees collected reaches the amount specified in subdivision (g) in each calendar year.

(i) Reimbursement to the state for equipment funded by moneys in the fund that are used for emergency response activities unrelated to regional railroad accident preparedness and immediate response as described in this article shall be made pursuant to the state fire service and rescue emergency mutual aid plan adopted pursuant to Section 8619.5 and deposited into the fund.

(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 25, Sec. 6. (SB 84) Effective June 24, 2015.)