BILL NUMBER: AB 1500	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Lieu

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Sections 5205.5 and 21655.9 of, and to amend and
repeal Section 40000.13 of, the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1500, as introduced, Lieu. High-occupancy lanes: single
occupancy vehicles: sunset date.
   Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to
designate certain lanes for the exclusive use of high-occupancy
vehicles (HOV), which lanes may also be used, until January 1, 2011,
by certain low-emission and hybrid vehicles not carrying the
requisite number of passengers otherwise required for the use of an
HOV lane if the vehicle displays a valid identifier issued by the
Department of Motor Vehicles. Existing law, until January 1, 2011,
makes it a misdemeanor to illegally use a decal, label, or other
identifiers issued by the department.
   This bill would extend the date, to January 1, 2016, that
specified vehicles can use high-occupancy lanes, the department can
issue low-emission and hybrid decals or other identifiers, and that
illegal use of a department-issued decal is considered a misdemeanor,
creating a state-mandated local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 5205.5 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   5205.5.  (a) For the purposes of implementing Section 21655.9, the
department shall make available for issuance, for a fee determined
by the department to be sufficient to reimburse the department for
the actual costs incurred pursuant to this section, distinctive
decals, labels, and other identifiers that clearly distinguish the
following vehicles from other vehicles:
   (1) A vehicle that meets California's super ultra-low emission
vehicle (SULEV) standard for exhaust emissions and the federal
inherently low-emission vehicle (ILEV) evaporative emission standard,
as defined in Part 88 (commencing with Section 88.101-94) of Title
40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
   (2) A vehicle that was produced during the 2004 model-year or
earlier and meets California ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV)
standard for exhaust emissions and the federal ILEV standard.
   (3) A hybrid vehicle or an alternative fuel vehicle that meets
California's advanced technology partial zero-emission vehicle (AT
PZEV) standard for criteria pollutant emissions and has a 45 miles
per gallon or greater fuel economy highway rating.
   (4) A hybrid vehicle that was produced during the 2004 model-year
or earlier and has a 45 miles per gallon or greater fuel economy
highway rating, and meets California's ULEV, SULEV, or partial
zero-emission vehicle (PZEV) standards.
   (b) Neither an owner of a hybrid vehicle that meets the AT PZEV
standard, with the exception of a vehicle that meets the federal ILEV
standard, nor an owner of a hybrid vehicle described in paragraph
(4) of subdivision (a), is entitled to a decal, label, or other
identifier pursuant to this section unless, and until, the federal
government acts to approve the use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV)
lanes by vehicles of the types identified in paragraph (3) or (4) of
subdivision (a), regardless of the number of occupants.
   (c) The department shall include a summary of the provisions of
this section on each motor vehicle registration renewal notice, or on
a separate insert, if space is available and the summary can be
included without incurring additional printing or postage costs.
   (d) The Department of Transportation shall remove individual HOV
lanes, or portions of those lanes, during periods of peak congestion
from the access provisions provided in subdivision (a), following a
finding by the Department of Transportation as follows:
   (1) The lane, or portion thereof, exceeds a level of service C, as
discussed in subdivision (b) of Section 65089 of the Government
Code.
   (2) The operation or projected operation of the vehicles described
in subdivision (a) in these lanes, or portions thereof, will
significantly increase congestion.
   The finding also shall demonstrate the infeasibility of
alleviating the congestion by other means, including, but not limited
to, reducing the use of the lane by noneligible vehicles, or further
increasing vehicle occupancy.
   (e) The State Air Resources Board shall publish and maintain a
listing of all vehicles eligible for participation in the programs
described in this section. The board shall provide that listing to
the department.
   (f) For purposes of subdivision (a), the Department of the
California Highway Patrol and the department, in consultation with
the Department of Transportation, shall design and specify the
placement of the decal, label, or other identifier on the vehicle.
Each decal, label, or other identifier issued for a vehicle shall
display a unique number, which number shall be printed on, or affixed
to, the vehicle registration.
   (g) (1) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), for purposes
of subdivision (a), the department shall issue no more than 85,000
distinctive decals, labels, or other identifiers that clearly
distinguish the vehicles specified in paragraphs (3) and (4) of
subdivision (a).
   (B) The department may issue a decal, label, or other identifier
for a vehicle that satisfies all of the following conditions:
   (i) The vehicle is of a type identified in paragraph (3) or (4) of
subdivision (a).
   (ii) The owner of the vehicle is the owner of a vehicle for which
a decal, label, or identifier described in subparagraph (A) was
previously issued and that vehicle for which the decal, label, or
identifier was previously issued is determined by the department, on
the basis of satisfactory proof submitted by the owner to the
department, to be a nonrepairable vehicle or a total loss salvage
vehicle.
   (iii) The owner of the vehicle applied for a decal, label, or
other identifier pursuant to this subparagraph on or before March 31,
2009, or within six months of the date on which the vehicle for
which a decal, label, or identifier was previously issued is declared
to be a nonrepairable vehicle or a total loss salvage vehicle,
whichever date is later.
   (2) The department shall notify the Department of Transportation
immediately after the date on which the department has issued 50,000
decals, labels, and other identifiers under this section for the
vehicles described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a).
   (3) The Department of Transportation shall determine whether
significant HOV lane breakdown has occurred throughout the state, in
accordance with the following timeline:
   (A) For lanes that are nearing capacity, the Department of
Transportation shall make the determination not later than 90 days
after the date provided by the department under paragraph (2).
   (B) For lanes that are not nearing capacity, the Department of
Transportation shall make the determination not later than 180 days
after the date provided by the department under paragraph (2).
   (4) In making the determination that significant HOV lane
breakdown has occurred, the Department of Transportation shall
consider the following factors in the HOV lane:
   (A) Reduction in level of service.
   (B) Sustained stop-and-go conditions.
   (C) Slower than average speed than the adjacent mixed-flow lanes.
   (D) Consistent increase in travel time.
   (5) After making the determinations pursuant to subparagraphs (A)
and (B) of paragraph (3), if the Department of Transportation
determines that significant HOV lane breakdown has occurred
throughout the state, the Department of Transportation shall
immediately notify the department of that determination, and the
department, on the date of receiving that notification, shall
discontinue issuing the decals, labels, or other identifiers for the
vehicles described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a).
   (h) If the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, serving as the
Bay Area Toll Authority, grants toll-free and reduced-rate passage on
toll bridges under its jurisdiction to  any   a
 vehicle pursuant to Section 30102.5 of the Streets and
Highways Code, it shall also grant the same toll-free and
reduced-rate passage to a vehicle displaying an identifier issued by
the department pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a)
and to a vehicle displaying a valid identifier issued by the
department pursuant to paragraph (3) or (4) of subdivision (a) if the
vehicle is registered to an address outside of the region identified
in Section 66502 of the Government Code.
   (i) An owner of a vehicle specified in paragraph (3) or (4) of
subdivision (a) whose vehicle is registered to an address in the
region identified in Section 66502 of the Government Code and who
seeks a vehicle identifier under subdivision (a) in order to have
access to a HOV lane within the jurisdiction of the Bay Area Toll
Authority shall do both of the following:
   (1) Obtain and maintain an active account to operate within the
automatic vehicle identification system described in Section 27565 of
the Streets and Highways Code and shall submit to the department a
form, approved by the department and issued by the Bay Area Toll
Authority, that contains the vehicle owner's name, the license plate
number and vehicle identification number of the vehicle, the vehicle
make and year model, and the automatic vehicle identification system
account number, as a condition to obtaining a vehicle identifier
pursuant to subdivision (a) that allows for the use of that vehicle
in HOV lanes regardless of the number of occupants.
   (2) Be eligible for toll-free or reduced-rate passage on toll
bridges within the jurisdiction of the Bay Area Toll Authority only
if, at time of passage, the vehicle meets the passenger occupancy
rate requirement established for that toll-free or reduced-rate
passage.
   (j) If the Director of Transportation determines that federal law
does not authorize the state to allow vehicles that are identified by
distinctive decals, labels, or other identifiers on vehicles
described in subdivision (a) to use highway lanes or highway access
ramps for high-occupancy vehicles regardless of vehicle occupancy,
the Director of Transportation shall submit a notice of that
determination to the Secretary of State.
   (k) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
 2011,   2016,  or only until the date the
Secretary of State receives the notice described in subdivision (j),
whichever occurs first, and as of that date is repealed.
  SEC. 2.  Section 21655.9 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   21655.9.  (a) (1) Whenever the Department of Transportation or a
local authority authorizes or permits exclusive or preferential use
of highway lanes or highway access ramps for high-occupancy vehicles
pursuant to Section 21655.5, the use of those lanes or ramps shall
also be extended to vehicles that are issued distinctive decals,
labels, or other identifiers pursuant to Section 5205.5 regardless of
vehicle occupancy or ownership.
   (2) A local authority during periods of peak congestion shall
suspend for a lane the access privileges extended pursuant to
paragraph (1) for those vehicles issued distinctive decals, labels,
or other identifiers pursuant to Section 5205.5, if a periodic review
of lane performance by that local authority discloses both of the
following factors regarding the lane:
   (A) The lane, or a portion thereof, exceeds a level of service C,
as described in subdivision (b) of Section 65089 of the Government
Code.
   (B) The operation or projected operation of vehicles in the lane,
or a portion thereof, will significantly increase congestion.
   (b) A person shall not drive a vehicle described in subdivision
(a) of Section 5205.5 with a single occupant upon a high-occupancy
vehicle lane pursuant to this section unless the decal, label, or
other identifier issued pursuant to Section 5205.5 is properly
displayed on the vehicle, and the vehicle registration described in
Section 5205.5 is with the vehicle.
   (c) A person shall not operate or own a vehicle displaying a
decal, label, or other identifier, as described in Section 5205.5, if
that decal, label, or identifier was not issued for that vehicle
pursuant to Section 5205.5. A violation of this subdivision is a
misdemeanor.
   (d) If the provisions in Section 5205.5 authorizing the department
to issue decals, labels, or other identifiers to hybrid and
alternative fuel vehicles are repealed, vehicles displaying those
decals, labels, or other identifiers shall not access high-occupancy
vehicle lanes without meeting the occupancy requirements otherwise
applicable to those lanes.
   (e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
 2011,   2016,  or only until the date that
the Secretary of State receives the notice described in subdivision
(l) of Section 5205.5, whichever occurs first, and as of that date is
repealed  , unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted
before January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date  .
  SEC. 3.  Section 40000.13 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by
Section 5 of Chapter 614 of the Statutes of 2006, is amended to read:

   40000.13.  A violation of any of the following provisions is a
misdemeanor, and not an infraction:
   (a) Section 16560, relating to interstate highway carriers.
   (b) Sections 20002 and 20003, relating to duties at accidents.
   (c) Section 21200.5, relating to riding a bicycle while under the
influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug.
   (d) Section 21651, subdivision (b), relating to wrong-way driving
on divided highways. 
   (e) Section 21655.9, subdivision (c), relating to illegal use of
decals, labels, or other identifiers.  
   (f) 
    (e)  Section 22520.5, a second or subsequent conviction
of an offense relating to vending on or near freeways. 
   (g) 
    (f)  Section 22520.6, a second or subsequent conviction
of an offense relating to roadside rest areas and vista points.

   (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2011, or only until the date that the Secretary of State receives the
notice from the Director of Transportation as described in Section
5205.5, whichever occurs first, and as of that date is repealed.

  SEC. 4.  Section 40000.13 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by
Section 6 of Chapter 614 of the Statutes of 2006, is repealed.

   40000.13.  A violation of any of the following provisions is a
misdemeanor, and not an infraction:
   (a) Section 16560, relating to interstate highway carriers.
   (b) Sections 20002 and 20003, relating to duties at accidents.
   (c) Section 21200.5, relating to riding a bicycle while under the
influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug.
   (d) Section 21651, subdivision (b), relating to wrong-way driving
on divided highways.
   (e) Section 22520.5, a second or subsequent conviction of an
offense relating to vending on or near freeways.
   (f) Section 22520.6, a second or subsequent conviction of an
offense relating to roadside rest areas and vista points.
   (g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2011, or on
the date that the Secretary of State receives the notice from the
Director of Transportation as described in Section 5205.5, whichever
occurs first. 
  SEC. 5.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.