CA AB830

Public utility districts in Mendocino County with 5,000 or fewer ratepayer households are exempted from paying for relocation or removal of their encroachments on state highways when highway improvements require it

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) must bear the sole expense of relocating or removing these small public utility districts' encroachments when highway projects necessitate such work

Caltrans must notify affected public utility districts at each stage of a project that requires relocation or removal of their encroachments

The exemption is temporary, remaining in effect only until January 1, 2031, after which standard rules requiring permittees to pay for their own encroachment relocations will resume

The Legislature justifies this special statute based on Mendocino County's unique geography and rural nature, with state highways dividing many communities and placing unusual burdens on local governmental entities