BILL NUMBER: AB 254	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Jeffries

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2009

   An act to amend Section 21055 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 254, as introduced, Jeffries. Emergency vehicles: payment of
tolls.
   Under existing law, it is unlawful to refuse to pay, or to evade
or attempt to evade the payment of, tolls or other charges on any
vehicular crossing, as defined, or toll highway.
   Under existing law, the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle,
as defined, is exempt from specified rules of the road under certain
circumstances, including when the vehicle is being driven in
response to an emergency call or while engaged in rescue operations,
as specified.
   This bill would exempt those emergency vehicles from the payment
of a toll or charge on a vehicular crossing or toll highway in those
circumstances.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 21055 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   21055.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt
from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21350), Chapter 3 (commencing
with Section 21650), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 21800),
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 21950), Chapter 6 (commencing with
22100), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 22348), Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 22450), Chapter 9 (commencing with Section
22500),  and  Chapter 10 (commencing with Section
22650)  , and Article 3 (commencing with Section 23300) of
Chapter 13  of this division, and Article 3 (commencing with
Section 38305) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 38312) of
Chapter 5 of Division 16.5, under all of the following conditions:
   (a) If the vehicle is being driven in response to an emergency
call or while engaged in rescue operations or is being used in the
immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or is
responding to, but not returning from, a fire alarm, except that
fire department vehicles are exempt whether directly responding to an
emergency call or operated from one place to another as rendered
desirable or necessary by reason of an emergency call and operated to
the scene of the emergency or operated from one fire station to
another or to some other location by reason of the emergency call.
   (b) If the driver of the vehicle sounds a siren as may be
reasonably necessary and the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp
visible from the front as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians.

   A siren shall not be sounded by an authorized emergency vehicle
except when required under this section.