(a) On or before April 1, 2018, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, shall establish a Transportation Permitting Task Force consisting of the following members:

(1) The Secretary of Transportation or his or her designee.

(2) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency or his or her designee.

(3) The Chair of the California Transportation Commission or his or her designee.

(4) Representatives from the following:

(A) Department of Transportation.

(B) Department of Fish and Wildlife.

(C) The State Water Resources Control Board.

(D) Regional water quality control boards.

(E) The California Coastal Commission.

(F) Other relevant state or public entities.

(b) The taskforce shall develop a structured coordination process for early engagement of all parties in the development of transportation projects to reduce permit processing time, establish reasonable deadlines for permit approvals, and provide for greater certainty of permit approval requirements.

(c) (1) On or before December 1, 2019, the Secretary of Transportation shall prepare and submit to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, pursuant to § 9795 of the Government Code, a report of findings based on the efforts of the taskforce. The report shall include, but is not limited to, a detailed analysis of the following issues:

(A) The existing permitting process for transportation projects in California, including a discussion of the points in the process where delays are most likely to occur.

(B) The utilization of existing positions in the various state resource agencies currently supported by transportation funds, including an analysis of the benefits of those positions to the state’s transportation programs relative to their costs.

(C) The process developed pursuant to subdivision (b).

(D) Resource levels needed at the resource agencies to implement the process developed pursuant to subdivision (b).

(E) Legislative or regulatory issues, if any, that need to be addressed to implement the process developed pursuant to subdivision (b).

(2) Pursuant to § 10231.5 of the Government Code, this subdivision shall be inoperative on December 1, 2023.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 204. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)