BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2233| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: AB 2233 Author: Maze (R) Amended: 7/7/08 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 8-2, 6/17/08 AYES: Lowenthal, Cedillo, Corbett, Harman, Kehoe, Oropeza, Torlakson, Yee NOES: McClintock, Simitian NO VOTE RECORDED: Ashburn, Hollingsworth, Maldonado SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 44-20, 5/5/08 - See last page for vote SUBJECT : Driving with animals SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This bill makes it unlawful, beginning July 1, 2009, for a person to drive a motor vehicle while holding a live animal in his/her arm or arms or lap. ANALYSIS : Existing law includes a number of provisions regarding obstructed view, distracted driving, and properly restraining children and animals to ensure their safety. 1.Existing Law prohibits a person from driving a vehicle when it is loaded in a manner that obstructs the view CONTINUED AB 2233 Page 2 of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle or that interferes with the driver's control over the vehicle. 2.Drivers age 18 years and older will be prohibited, beginning July 1, 2008, from operating a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is used in a hands-free manner, and drivers under the age of 18 will be prohibited from using any mobile service device while operating a vehicle. 3.To provide additional protection to small children, drivers may not transport a child who is under six years of age or who weighs less than 60 pounds in a motor vehicle without properly securing the child in a rear seat in a child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal standards. 4.To prevent animals that are being transported in the back of a truck from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the vehicle, existing law prohibits a person from transporting any animal in the back of the vehicle in a space intended for any load unless the space is enclosed, has side and tail racks at least 46 inches high, the animal is cross tethered to the vehicle, or the animal is protected by a secured container, cage, or other apparatus in a manner that will prevent the animal from being discharged from the vehicle. This bill, beginning July 1, 2009, makes it unlawful for a person to drive a motor vehicle while holding a live animal in his or her arm or arms, or upon his/her lap. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: Yes SUPPORT : (Verified 8/6/08) Eagle Forum of Sacramento Manufacturers Association, Inc. PetPAC State Humane Association of California ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author's office asserts that AB 2233 Page 3 it is an extremely dangerous proposition to operate a vehicle while holding a live animal, and it can be extremely hazardous for other drivers on the road as well. Current law does not address this issue. ASSEMBLY FLOOR : AYES: Arambula, Bass, Beall, Berg, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Coto, De La Torre, De Leon, DeSaulnier, Dymally, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Huffman, Jones, Karnette, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Maze, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Parra, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Solorio, Swanson, Torrico, Wolk, Nunez NOES: Aghazarian, Anderson, Berryhill, Blakeslee, DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines, Garrick, Huff, La Malfa, Niello, Plescia, Sharon Runner, Silva, Smyth, Spitzer, Strickland, Walters NO VOTE RECORDED: Adams, Benoit, Brownley, Cook, Davis, Garcia, Houston, Jeffries, Keene, Krekorian, Lieu, Ma, Nakanishi, Soto, Tran, Villines JJA:AGB:do 8/6/08 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****