BILL NUMBER: AB 1258 CHAPTERED 10/03/01 CHAPTER 465 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 3, 2001 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 3, 2001 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 15, 2001 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 14, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 14, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 1, 2001 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wiggins (Coauthor: Assembly Member Shelley) FEBRUARY 23, 2001 An act to add and repeal Section 4000.11 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1258, Wiggins. Vehicles: rentals. Existing law regulates commerce relating to the sale, lease, or rental of motor vehicles. This bill, from September 11, 2001 until January 1, 2002, upon written findings by the Director of Motor Vehicles and the Executive Officer of the State Air Resources Board, would authorize a vehicle rental company, as specified, to rent passenger vehicles in this state that are registered in another state, if the vehicles model years are 2000, 2001, or 2002. The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares that existing California law prohibits rental car companies from renting, for in-state use, cars that are registered in other states. Because of the terrorist activities on September 11, 2001, that grounded all air traffic, and significantly interrupted rail and inter-city bus service, numerous persons throughout the nation have chosen to rent a car as the only viable alternative transportation over long distances. Accordingly, the number of rental cars driven into California from other states during this crisis has been higher than normal. As a result, the number of California licensed cars that remain available to renters wishing to travel within the state has been reduced. In order to accommodate the greatly increased consumer demand for rental cars, it may be necessary to temporarily suspend the enforcement of those laws that would prohibit the rental of out-of-state cars. SEC. 2. Section 4000.11 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 4000.11. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a rental company, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1936 of the Civil Code, that has been in continuous operation for the two years immediately preceding the effective date of the act that added this section, may rent for use in this state during the period of September 11, 2001 to December 31, 2001, inclusive, a passenger vehicle that is registered in another state if the vehicle's model year is 2000, 2001, or 2002. (b) Subdivision (a) shall become operative only if both of the following occur: (1) The Director of Motor Vehicles makes a written finding that the implementation of subdivision (a) is necessary to ensure that there is a sufficient and stable supply of rental cars available in California. (2) The Executive Officer of the State Air Resources Board makes a written finding that the implementation of subdivision (a) will not result in a significant adverse impact upon air quality. (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2002, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2002, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 3. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to ensure, at the earliest possible time, that it is possible to accommodate the greatly increased consumer demand for rental cars that has resulted from recent terrorist activities that have grounded all air traffic, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.