Existing law authorizes various specified cities and counties, subject to certain limitations and approval requirements, to levy a transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes, in accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth in the Transactions and Use Tax Law. A provision of the Transactions and Use Tax Law prohibits the combined rate of all taxes that may be imposed in accordance with that law in a county from exceeding 2%.
Existing law, the Local Transportation Authority and Improvement Act, generally authorizes a county board of supervisors to create or otherwise designate a transportation authority in the county that may impose a transactions and use tax at a rate not to exceed 1% for specified county streets and highway projects or public transit projects, in conformity with the Transaction and Use Tax Law, if the tax ordinance is adopted by a 23 vote of the authority and if the ordinance is subsequently approved by a majority of the voters. Existing law, before January 1, 2021, also authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to impose a transactions and use tax for the support of countywide transportation programs at a rate of no more than 0.5% that, in combination with other transactions and use taxes, exceeds the above-described combined rate limit of 2%, if certain requirements are met, including a requirement that the ordinance proposing the transactions and use tax be submitted to, and approved by, the voters.
Existing law, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Act, creates the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, which comprises a territory that includes the County of Contra Costa, and, among other things, authorizes the board of directors of the district to impose transactions and use taxes in conformity with the Transactions and Use Tax Law for specified purposes, subject to periodic legislative review and amendment, as provided.
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding the combined rate limit under the Transactions and Use Tax Law, neither a transaction and use tax rate imposed in the County of Contra Costa by the transportation authority for those county streets and highway projects, public transit projects, or countywide transportation programs nor a transactions and use tax rate imposed by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, as specified, will be considered for purposes of that combined rate limit within the County of Contra Costa. The bill would declare that the changes made with regard to taxes imposed by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for countywide transportation programs are declaratory of existing law.
This bill would also authorize the County of Contra Costa to impose a transactions and use tax in conformity with the Transactions and Use Tax Law for general or specific purposes to support countywide programs at a rate of no more than 0.50% that, in combination with other transactions and use taxes, would exceed the above-described combined rate limit of 2% if certain requirements are met, including a requirement that the ordinance proposing the transactions and use tax be submitted to, and approved by, the voters. The bill would provide that, notwithstanding the combined rate limit under the Transactions and Use Tax Law, a transaction and use tax rate imposed in the County of Contra Costa imposed pursuant to the authority provided by this bill will not be considered for purposes of that combined rate limit within the County of Contra Costa.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Contra Costa.

Statutes affected:
SB 1349: 29140 PUC, 180201 PUC, 7291 RTC, 4213 PRC
02/21/20 - Introduced: 4213 PRC
04/08/20 - Amended Senate: 29140 PUC, 180201 PUC, 7291 RTC, 4213 PRC
SB1349: 4213 PRC