BILL NUMBER: AB 2188	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012

   An act to amend Sections 2800, 12502, 12517.2, 12804.9, 13353.7,
15210, and 15250 of, to amend, repeal, and add Section 14606 of, and
to add Section 15326 to, the Vehicle Code, relating to commercial
motor vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2188, as introduced, Bonnie Lowenthal. Commercial motor
vehicles: commercial driver's license program: federal compliance.
   Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to adopt those
standards required of drivers by the Federal Highway Administration
of the United States Department of Transportation, as set forth in
the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 and to reduce or
prevent commercial motor vehicle accidents, fatalities, and injuries
by permitting drivers to hold only one license, disqualifying drivers
for certain criminal offenses and serious traffic violations, and
strengthening licensing and testing standards.
   Existing law disqualifies a driver from operating a commercial
motor vehicle for a specified time period of one year if the driver
is convicted of a serious traffic violation involving a commercial or
noncommercial motor vehicle occurring within 3 years of conviction
of a separate services traffic violation. Operating a vehicle while
disqualified is a crime.
   This bill would make changes to the requirements applicable to the
holding of commercial driver's licenses regarding, among other
things, medical certifications, military exemptions, out-of-service
order violations, and violations occurring in other jurisdictions, to
conform to federal law.
   This bill would make other changes to ensure compliance with
federal regulations, including, among other things, adding second and
subsequent convictions for texting while driving as a serious
traffic violation, which disqualifies a driver from operating a
commercial motor vehicle for a specified time period. By expanding
the scope of an existing crime, the bill would create a
state-mandated local program. The bill would also make technical and
conforming changes and delete obsolete references in these
provisions.
   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 2800 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   2800.  (a) It is unlawful to willfully fail or refuse to comply
with a lawful order, signal, or direction of a peace officer, as
defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of
Part 2 of the Penal Code, when that peace officer is in uniform and
is performing duties pursuant to any of the provisions of this code,
or to refuse to submit to a lawful inspection pursuant to this code.
   (b)  (1)    Except as authorized pursuant to
Section 24004, it is unlawful to fail or refuse to comply with a
lawful out-of-service order issued by an authorized employee of the
Department of the California Highway Patrol or by an authorized
enforcement officer as described in subdivision (d). 
   (2) It is unlawful for a driver transporting hazardous materials
in a commercial motor vehicle that is required to display a placard
pursuant to Section 27903 to violate paragraph (1).  
   (3) It is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle designed to transport
16 or more passengers, including the driver, to violate paragraph
(1). 
   (c) It is unlawful to fail or refuse to comply with a lawful
out-of-service order issued by the United States Secretary of the
Department of Transportation.
   (d) "Out-of-Service order" means a declaration by an authorized
enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local
jurisdiction that a driver, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor
carrier operation is out-of-service pursuant to Section 386.72,
392.5, 392.9a, 395.13, or 396.9 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, state law, or the North American Standard Out-of-Service
Criteria.
  SEC. 2.  Section 12502 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   12502.  (a) The following persons may operate a motor vehicle in
this state without obtaining a driver's license under this code:
   (1) A nonresident over the age of 18 years having in his or her
immediate possession a valid driver's license issued by a foreign
jurisdiction of which he or she is a resident, except as provided in
Section 12505.
   (2)  A nonresident, 21 years of age or older, if transporting
hazardous material, as defined in Section 353, in a commercial
vehicle, having in his or her immediate possession, a valid license
with the appropriate endorsement issued by another state or other
jurisdiction that is recognized by the department, or a Canadian
driver's license and a copy of his or her current training
certificate to transport hazardous material that complies with all
federal laws and regulations with respect to hazardous materials,
both of which shall be in his or her immediate possession.
   (3) A nonresident having in his or her immediate possession a
valid driver's license, issued by the Diplomatic Motor Vehicle Office
of the Office of Foreign Missions of the United States Department of
State, for the type of motor vehicle or combination of vehicles that
the person is operating. 
   (b) Any person entitled to the exemption contained in subdivision
(a), while operating, within this state, a commercial vehicle, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210, shall have in his or her
possession a current medical certificate of a type described in
subdivision (c) of Section 12804.9, which has been issued within two
years of the date of operation of that vehicle.  
   (b) (1) Beginning January 30, 2012, a driver required to have a
commercial driver's license under Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code of
Federal Regulations who submits a current medical examiner's
certificate to the licensing state in accordance with Section 383.71
(h) of Subpart E of Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, documenting that he or she meets the physical
qualification requirements of Section 391.41 of Subpart E of Part 391
of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, is not required to
carry on his or her person the medical examiner's certificate or a
copy of that certificate.  
   (2) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), and subject to subparagraph
(B), if there is no medical certification information on the driver'
s Commercial Driver License Information System motor vehicle record,
as defined in Section 384.105 of Subpart A of Part 384 of Title 49 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, a current medical examiner's
certificate issued prior to January 30, 2012, shall be accepted until
January 30, 2014, as proof of medical certification.  
   (B) Beginning January 31, 2014, a driver may use the date-stamped
receipt, given to the driver by the licensing state agency, for up to
15 days after the date stamped on the receipt, as proof of medical
certification. 
    (c) A nonresident possessing a medical certificate in accordance
with subdivision (b) shall comply with any restriction of the medical
certificate issued to that nonresident.
  SEC. 3.  Section 12517.2 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   12517.2.  (a) Applicants for an original or renewal certificate to
drive a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus, youth bus, general
public paratransit vehicle, or farm labor vehicle shall submit a
report of a medical examination of the applicant given not more than
two years prior to the date of the application by a physician
licensed to practice medicine, a licensed advanced practice
registered nurse qualified to perform a medical examination, or a
licensed physician assistant. The report shall be on a form approved
by  the department,  the Federal  Highway
  Motor Carrier Safety  Administration  ,
or the Federal Aviation Administration  .
   (b) Schoolbus drivers, within the same month of reaching 65 years
of age and each 12th month thereafter, shall undergo a medical
examination, pursuant to Section 12804.9, and shall submit a report
of that medical examination on a form as specified in subdivision
(a).
  SEC. 4.  Section 12804.9 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   12804.9.  (a) (1) The examination shall include all of the
following:
   (A) A test of the applicant's knowledge and understanding of the
provisions of this code governing the operation of vehicles upon the
highways.
   (B) A test of the applicant's ability to read and understand
simple English used in highway traffic and directional signs.
   (C) A test of the applicant's understanding of traffic signs and
signals, including the bikeway signs, markers, and traffic control
devices established by the Department of Transportation.
   (D) An actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise
ordinary and reasonable control in operating a motor vehicle by
driving it under the supervision of an examining officer. The
applicant shall submit to an examination appropriate to the type of
motor vehicle or combination of vehicles he or she desires a license
to drive, except that the department may waive the driving test part
of the examination for any applicant who submits a license issued by
another state, territory, or possession of the United States, the
District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico if the
department verifies through any acknowledged national driver record
data source that there are no stops, holds, or other impediments to
its issuance. The examining officer may request to see evidence of
financial responsibility for the vehicle prior to supervising the
demonstration of the applicant's ability to operate the vehicle. The
examining officer may refuse to examine an applicant who is unable to
provide proof of financial responsibility for the vehicle, unless
proof of financial responsibility is not required by this code.
   (E) A test of the hearing and eyesight of the applicant, and of
other matters that may be necessary to determine the applicant's
mental and physical fitness to operate a motor vehicle upon the
highways, and whether any grounds exist for refusal of a license
under this code.
   (2)  The examination for a class A or class B driver's
license under subdivision (b) shall also include a   (A)
    Before a class A or class B driver's license,
or class C driver's license   with a commercial endorsement,
may be issued or renewed, the applicant shall have in his or her
driver record a valid  report of a medical examination of the
applicant given not more than two years prior to the date of the
application by a health care professional. As used in this paragraph,
"health care professional" means a person who is licensed,
certified, or registered in accordance with applicable state laws and
regulations to practice medicine and perform physical examinations
in the United States. Health care professionals are doctors of
medicine, doctors of osteopathy, physician assistants, and registered
advanced practice nurses, or doctors of chiropractic who are
clinically competent to perform the medical examination presently
required of motor carrier drivers by the  federal 
 United States  Department of Transportation. The report
shall be on a form approved by the department  , 
 or  the  federal   United States 
Department of Transportation  , or the Federal Aviation
Administration  . In establishing the requirements,
consideration may be given to the standards presently required of
motor carrier drivers by the Federal  Highway  
Motor Carrier Safety  Administration. 
   (B) The department may accept a federal waiver of one or more
physical qualification standards if the waiver is accompanied by a
report of a nonqualifying medical examination for a class A or class
B driver's license, or class C driver's license with a commercial
endorsement, pursuant to Section 391.41(a)(3)(ii) of Subpart E of
Part 391 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 
    (3) A physical defect of the applicant that, in the opinion of
the department, is compensated for to ensure safe driving ability,
shall not prevent the issuance of a license to the applicant.
   (b) In accordance with the following classifications, an applicant
for a driver's license shall be required to submit to an examination
appropriate to the type of motor vehicle or combination of vehicles
the applicant desires a license to drive:
   (1) Class A includes the following:
   (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (H) of paragraph (3), a
combination of vehicles, if a vehicle being towed has a gross vehicle
weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds.
   (B) A vehicle towing more than one vehicle.
   (C) A trailer bus.
   (D) The operation of all vehicles under class B and class C.
   (2) Class B includes the following:
   (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (H) of paragraph (3), a
single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000
pounds.
   (B) A single vehicle with three or more axles, except any
three-axle vehicle weighing less than 6,000 pounds.
   (C) A bus except a trailer bus.
   (D) A farm labor vehicle.
   (E) A single vehicle with three or more axles or a gross vehicle
weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds towing another vehicle with
a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
   (F) A house car over 40 feet in length, excluding safety devices
and safety bumpers.
   (G) The operation of all vehicles covered under class C.
   (3) Class C includes the following:
   (A) A two-axle vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of
26,000 pounds or less, including when the vehicle is towing a trailer
or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds
or less.
   (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a two-axle vehicle weighing
4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing a trailer coach not
exceeding 9,000 pounds gross.
   (C) A house car of 40 feet in length or less.
   (D) A three-axle vehicle weighing 6,000 pounds gross or less.
   (E) A house car of 40 feet in length or less or a vehicle towing
another vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds
or less, including when a tow dolly is used. A person driving a
vehicle may not tow another vehicle in violation of Section 21715.
   (F) (i) A two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen
when towing either a trailer coach or a fifth-wheel travel trailer
not exceeding 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, when the
towing of the trailer is not for compensation.
   (ii) A two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when
towing a fifth-wheel travel trailer exceeding 10,000 pounds, but not
exceeding 15,000 pounds, gross vehicle weight rating, when the
towing of the trailer is not for compensation, and if the person has
passed a specialized written examination provided by the department
relating to the knowledge of this code and other safety aspects
governing the towing of recreational vehicles upon the highway.
   The authority to operate combinations of vehicles under this
subparagraph may be granted by endorsement on a class C license upon
completion of that written examination.
   (G) A vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination
weight rating or a gross vehicle weight rating, as those terms are
defined in subdivisions (j) and (k), respectively, of Section 15210,
of 26,000 pounds or less, if all of the following conditions are met:

   (i) Is operated by a farmer, an employee of a farmer, or an
instructor credentialed in agriculture as part of an instructional
program in agriculture at the high school, community college, or
university level.
   (ii) Is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural
operations.
   (iii) Is not used in the capacity of a for-hire carrier or for
compensation.
   (H) Firefighting equipment, provided that the equipment is
operated by a person who holds a firefighter endorsement pursuant to
Section 12804.11.
   (I) A motorized scooter.
   (J)  Class C does not include a two-wheel motorcycle or a
two-wheel motor-driven cycle.
   (4) Class M1. A two-wheel motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle.
Authority to operate a vehicle included in a class M1 license may be
granted by endorsement on a class A, B, or C license upon completion
of an appropriate examination.
   (5) (A) Class M2 includes the following:
   (i) A motorized bicycle or moped, or a bicycle with an attached
motor, except a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of
Section 406.
   (ii) A motorized scooter.
   (B) Authority to operate vehicles included in class M2 may be
granted by endorsement on a class A, B, or C license upon completion
of an appropriate examination, except that no endorsement is required
for a motorized scooter. Persons holding a class M1 license or
endorsement may operate vehicles included in class M2 without further
examination.
   (c) A driver's license or driver certificate is not valid for
operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in subdivision (b)
of Section 15210, any other motor vehicle defined in paragraph (1) or
(2) of subdivision (b), or any other vehicle requiring a driver to
hold any driver certificate or any driver's license endorsement under
Section 15275, unless a medical certificate approved by the 
department, the federal   Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration of the United States  Department of
Transportation,  or the Federal Aviation Administration,
 that has been issued within two years of the date of the
operation of that vehicle  , is within the licensee's
immediate possession,  and a copy of the medical examination
report from which the certificate was issued is on file with the
department. Otherwise, the license is valid only for operating class
C vehicles that are not commercial vehicles, as defined in
subdivision (b) of Section 15210, and for operating class M1 or M2
vehicles, if so endorsed, that are not commercial vehicles, as
defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210.
   (d) A license or driver certificate issued prior to the enactment
of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 15200) is valid to operate the
class or type of vehicles specified under the law in existence prior
to that enactment until the license or certificate expires or is
otherwise suspended, revoked, or canceled.  Upon application for
renewal or replacement of a   driver's license, endorsement,
or certificate required to operate a commercial motor vehicle, a
valid medical certificate on a form approved by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration of the United States Department of
Transportation shall be submitted to the department. 
   (e) The department may accept a certificate of driving skill that
is issued by an employer, authorized by the department to issue a
certificate under Section 15250, of the applicant, in lieu of a
driving test, on class A or B applications, if the applicant has
first qualified for a class C license and has met the other
examination requirements for the license for which he or she is
applying. The certificate may be submitted as evidence of the
applicant's skill in the operation of the types of equipment covered
by the license for which he or she is applying.
   (f) The department may accept a certificate of competence in lieu
of a driving test on class M1 or M2 applications, when the
certificate is issued by a law enforcement agency for its officers
who operate class M1 or M2 vehicles in their duties, if the applicant
has met the other examination requirements for the license for which
he or she is applying.
   (g) The department may accept a certificate of satisfactory
completion of a novice motorcyclist training program approved by the
commissioner pursuant to Section 2932 in lieu of a driving test on
class M1 or M2 applications, if the applicant has met the other
examination requirements for the license for which he or she is
applying. The department shall review and approve the written and
driving test used by a program to determine whether the program may
issue a certificate of completion.
   (h) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a person holding a valid
California driver's license of any class may operate a short-term
rental motorized bicycle without taking any special examination for
the operation of a motorized bicycle, and without having a class M2
endorsement on that license. As used in this subdivision, "short-term"
means 48 hours or less.
   (i) A person under the age of 21 years  may  
shall  not be issued a class M1 or M2 license or endorsement
unless he or she provides evidence satisfactory to the department of
completion of a motorcycle safety training program that is operated
pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 2930) of Chapter 5 of
Division 2.
   (j) A driver of a vanpool vehicle may operate with a class C
license but shall possess evidence of a medical examination required
for a class B license when operating vanpool vehicles. In order to be
eligible to drive the vanpool vehicle, the driver shall keep in the
vanpool vehicle a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that he
or she has not been convicted of reckless driving, drunk driving, or
a hit-and-run offense in the last five years.
  SEC. 5.  Section 13353.7 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   13353.7.  (a) Subject to subdivision (c), if the person whose
driving privilege has been suspended under Section 13353.2 has not
been convicted of, or found to have committed, a separate violation
of Section 23103, as specified in Section 23103.5, or Section 23140,
23152, or 23153 of this code, or Section 191.5 or subdivision (a) of
Section 192.5 of the Penal Code, and if the person's privilege to
operate a motor vehicle has not been suspended or revoked pursuant to
Section 13353 or 13353.2 for an offense that occurred on a separate
occasion within 10 years of the occasion in question and, if the
person subsequently enrolls in a driving-under-the-influence program
licensed under Section 11836 of the Health and Safety Code, as
described in subdivision (b) of Section 23538, that person, if 21
years of age or older at the time the offense occurred, may apply to
the department for a restricted driver's license limited to travel to
and from the activities required by the program and to and from and
in the course of the person's employment. After receiving proof of
enrollment in the program, and if the person has not been arrested
subsequent to the offense for which the person's driving privilege
has been suspended under Section 13353.2 for a violation of Section
23103, as specified in Section 23103.5, or Section 23140, 23152, or
23153 of this code, or Section 191.5 or subdivision (a) of Section
192.5 of the Penal Code, and if the person's privilege to operate a
motor vehicle has not been suspended or revoked pursuant to Section
13353 or 13353.2 for an offense that occurred on a separate occasion,
notwithstanding Section 13551, the department shall, after review
pursuant to Section 13557, suspend the person's privilege to operate
a motor vehicle for 30 days and then issue the person a restricted
driver's license under the following conditions:
   (1) The program shall report any failure to participate in the
program to the department and shall certify successful completion of
the program to the department.
   (2) The person was 21 years of age or older at the time the
offense occurred and gives proof of financial responsibility as
defined in Section 16430.
   (3) The restriction shall be imposed for a period of five months.
   (4) If a person who has been issued a restricted license under
this section fails at any time to participate in the program, the
department shall suspend the restricted license immediately. The
department shall give notice of the suspension under this paragraph
in the same manner as prescribed in subdivision (b) of Section
13353.2 for the period specified in Section 13353.3, that is
effective upon receipt by the person.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), and upon a conviction of
Section 23152 or 23153, the department shall suspend or revoke the
person's privilege to operate a motor vehicle under Section 13352.
   (c) If the  holder of a commercial driver's license
  driver  was operating a commercial vehicle, as
defined in Section 15210, at the time of the violation that resulted
in the suspension of that person's driving privilege under Section
13353.2, the department shall, pursuant to this section, if the
person is otherwise eligible, issue the person a class C  or
class M  driver's license restricted in the same manner and
subject to the same conditions as specified in subdivision (a),
except that the license may not allow travel to and from or in the
course of the person's employment. 
   (d) If the holder of a commercial driver's license was operating a
motor vehicle, not defined in Section 15210, at the time of the
violation that resulted in the suspension of that person's driving
privilege pursuant to Section 13353.2, the department shall, pursuant
to this section, if the person is otherwise eligible, issue the
person a class C or class M driver's license restricted in the same
manner and subject to the same conditions as specified in subdivision
(a).  
   (d)
    (e)  This section does not apply to a person whose
driving privilege has been suspended or revoked pursuant to Section
13353 or 13353.2 for an offense that occurred on a separate occasion,
or as a result of a conviction of a separate violation of Section
23103, as specified in Section 23103.5, or Section 23140, 23152, or
23153, when that violation occurred within 10 years of the offense in
question. This subdivision shall be operative only so long as a
one-year suspension of the driving privilege for a second or
subsequent occurrence or offense, with no restricted or hardship
licenses permitted, is required by Section 408 or 410 of Title 23 of
the United States Code.
  SEC. 6.  Section 14606 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   14606.  (a)  No   A  person shall 
not  employ or hire any person to drive a motor vehicle 
nor shall he   or  knowingly permit or authorize
the driving of a motor vehicle, owned by him or her or under his or
her control, upon the highways by any person unless  the
  that  person is  then  licensed
for the appropriate class of vehicle to be driven.
   (b)  Whenever any person employs or hires any person,
including a subhauler, to drive a class A or class B vehicle, the
employer shall ascertain that the person has in his or her possession
a medical certificate as provided in subdivision (c) of Section
12804.9 which has been issued within two years prior to the date of
the person's employment or hiring.   (1)  
 Whenever  the   a  person fails to
qualify  for a medical certificate   ,  on
reexamination,  the   to operate a commercial
motor vehicle, an  employer shall report that failure to the
department  within 10 days  . 
   (2) Until January 30, 2014, if a driver has no medical
certification status information in the Commercial Driver License
Information System motor vehicle record obtained from the driver's
state licensing agency, the employing motor carrier may accept as
proof of medical certification a medical examiner's certificate
issued to that driver prior to January 30, 2012, and shall retain a
copy as part of a driver qualification file.  
   (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 30,
2014, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 30, 2014, deletes or extends
that date. 
  SEC. 7.  Section 14606 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
   14606.  (a) A person shall not employ or hire any person to drive
a motor vehicle, nor shall he or she knowingly permit or authorize
the driver of a motor vehicle, owned by him or her or under his or
her control, upon the highways by any person unless that person is
licensed for the appropriate class of vehicle to be driven.
   (b) Whenever a person fails to qualify, on reexamination, to
operate a commercial motor vehicle, an employer shall report that
failure to the department within 10 days.
   (c) An employer shall obtain from a driver required to have a
commercial driver's license or commercial endorsement a copy of the
driver's medical certification before allowing the driver to operate
a commercial motor vehicle. The employer shall retain the
certification as part of a driver
                qualification file.
   (d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2014.
  SEC. 8.  Section 15210 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   15210.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, as used
in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
   (a) "Commercial driver's license" means a driver's license issued
by a state or other jurisdiction, in accordance with the standards
contained in Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
which authorizes the licenseholder to operate a class or type of
commercial motor vehicle.
   (b) (1) "Commercial motor vehicle" means any vehicle or
combination of vehicles that requires a class A or class B license,
or a class C license with an endorsement issued pursuant to paragraph
(5) of subdivision (a) of Section 15278.
   (2) "Commercial motor vehicle" does not include any of the
following:
   (A) A recreational vehicle, as defined in Section 18010 of the
Health and Safety Code. 
   (B) Military equipment operated for military purposes by civilian
and noncivilian personnel, that is owned or operated by the United
States Department of Defense or United States Department of Homeland
Security, including the National Guard, as provided in Parts 383 and
391 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

   (C) 
    (B)  An implement of husbandry operated by a person who
is not required to obtain a driver's license under this code.

   (D) 
    (C)  Vehicles operated by persons exempted pursuant to
Section 25163 of the Health and Safety Code or a vehicle operated in
an emergency situation at the direction of a peace officer pursuant
to Section 2800.
   (c) "Controlled substance" has the same meaning as defined by the
federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 802).
   (d) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a
determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the
law in a court of original jurisdiction or by an authorized
administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or
collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, a
plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the payment
of a fine or court costs, or violation of a condition of release
without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated,
suspended, or probated.
   (e) "Disqualification" means a prohibition against driving a
commercial motor vehicle.
   (f) "Driving a commercial vehicle under the influence" means
committing any one or more of the following unlawful acts in a
commercial motor vehicle:
   (1) Driving a commercial motor vehicle while the operator's
blood-alcohol concentration level is 0.04 percent or more, by weight
in violation of subdivision (d) of Section 23152.
   (2) Driving under the influence of alcohol, as prescribed in
subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 23152.
   (3) Refusal to undergo testing as required under this code in the
enforcement of Subpart D of Part 383 or Subpart A of Part 392 of
Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
   (g) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a
state, or political subdivision of a state, who owns or leases a
commercial motor vehicle or assigns drivers to operate that vehicle.
A person who employs himself or herself as a commercial vehicle
driver is considered to be both an employer and a driver for purposes
of this chapter.
   (h) "Fatality" means the death of a person as a result of a motor
vehicle accident.
   (i) "Felony" means an offense under state or federal law that is
punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
   (j) "Gross combination weight rating" means the value specified by
the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a combination or
articulated vehicle. In the absence of a value specified by the
manufacturer, gross vehicle weight rating will be determined by
adding the gross vehicle weight rating of the power unit and the
total weight of the towed units and any load thereon.
   (k) "Gross vehicle weight rating" means the value specified by the
manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single vehicle, as
defined in Section 390.
   (l) "Imminent hazard" means the existence of a condition that
presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious illness, severe
personal injury, or substantial endangerment to health, property, or
the environment may occur before the reasonable foreseeable
completion date of a formal proceeding begun to lesson the risk of
death, illness, injury, or endangerment.
   (m) "Noncommercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle or
combination of motor vehicles that is not included within the
definition in subdivision (b).
   (n) "Nonresident commercial driver's license" means a commercial
driver's license issued to an individual by a state under one of the
following provisions:
   (1) The individual is domiciled in a foreign country.
   (2) The individual is domiciled in another state.
   (o) "Schoolbus" is a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in
Section 545.
   (p) "Serious traffic violation" includes any of the following:
   (1) Excessive speeding, as defined pursuant to the federal
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (P.L. 99-570) involving any
single offense for any speed of 15 miles an hour or more above the
posted speed limit.
   (2) Reckless driving, as defined pursuant to the federal
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (P.L. 99-570), and driving in the
manner described under Section 2800.1, 2800.2, or 2800.3, including,
but not limited to, the offense of driving a commercial motor
vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or
property.
   (3) A violation of a state or local law involving the safe
operation of a motor vehicle, arising in connection with a fatal
traffic accident.
   (4) A similar violation of a state or local law involving the safe
operation of a motor vehicle, as defined pursuant to the Commercial
Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Title XII of P.L. 99-570).
   (5) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without a commercial driver'
s license.
   (6) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without the driver having
in his or her possession a commercial driver's license, unless the
driver provides proof at the subsequent court appearance that he or
she held a valid commercial driver's license on the date of the
violation.
   (7) Driving a commercial motor vehicle when the driver has not met
the minimum testing standards for that vehicle as to the class or
type of cargo the vehicle is carrying. 
   (8) Driving a commercial motor vehicle while using an electronic
wireless communication device to write, send, or read a text-based
communication, as defined in Section 23123.5. 
   In the absence of a federal definition, existing definitions under
this code shall apply.
   (q) "State" means a state of the United States or the District of
Columbia.
   (r) "Tank vehicle" means a commercial motor vehicle that is
designed to transport any liquid or gaseous material within a tank
that is permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the
chassis, including, but not limited to, cargo tanks and portable
tanks, as defined in Part 171 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This definition does not include portable tanks having a
rated capacity under 1,000 gallons.
  SEC. 9.  Section 15250 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   15250.  (a) (1) A person  may   shall 
not operate a commercial motor vehicle unless that person has in his
or her immediate possession a valid commercial driver's license of
the appropriate class.
   (2) A person  may   shall  not operate a
commercial motor vehicle while transporting hazardous materials
unless that person has in his or her possession a valid commercial
driver's license with a hazardous materials endorsement. An
instruction permit does not authorize the operation of a vehicle
transporting hazardous materials.
   (b) (1) Before an application for an original or renewal of a
commercial driver's license with a hazardous materials endorsement is
submitted to the United States Transportation Security
Administration for the processing of a security threat assessment, as
required under Part 1572 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, the department shall complete a check of the applicant's
driving record to ensure that the person is not subject to a
disqualification under Part 383.51 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
   (2) A person  may   shall  not be issued
a commercial driver's license until he or she has passed a written
and driving test for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle
 which   that  complies with the minimum
federal standards established by the federal Commercial Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-570) and Part 383 of Title 49 of the
Code of Federal Regulations, and has satisfied all other requirements
of that act as well as any other requirements imposed by this code.
   (c) The tests shall be prescribed and conducted by or under the
direction of the department. The department may allow a third-party
tester to administer the driving test part of the examination
required under this section and Section 15275 if all of the following
conditions are met:
   (1) The tests given by the third party are the same as those that
would otherwise be given by the department.
   (2) The third party has an agreement with the department that
includes, but is not limited to, the following provisions:
   (A) Authorization for the United States Secretary of
Transportation, or his or her representative, and the department, or
its representative, to conduct random examinations, inspections, and
audits without prior notice.
   (B) Permission for the department, or its representative, to
conduct onsite inspections at least annually.
   (C) A requirement that all third-party testers meet the same
qualification and training standards as the department's examiners,
to the extent necessary to conduct the driving skill tests in
compliance with the requirements of Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code
of Federal Regulations.
   (D) The department may cancel, suspend, or revoke the agreement
with a third-party tester if the third-party tester fails to comply
with the standards for the commercial driver's license testing
program, or with any other term of the third-party agreement, upon 15
days' prior written notice of the action to cancel, suspend, or
revoke the agreement by the department to the third party. Any action
to appeal or review any order of the department canceling,
suspending, or revoking a third-party testing agreement shall be
brought in a court of competent jurisdiction under Section 1085 of
the Code of Civil Procedure, or as otherwise permitted by the laws of
this state. The action shall be commenced within 90 days from the
effective date of the order.
   (E) Any third-party tester whose agreement has been canceled
pursuant to subparagraph (D) may immediately apply for a third-party
testing agreement.
   (F) A suspension of a third-party testing agreement pursuant to
subparagraph (D) shall be for a term of less than 12 months as
determined by the department. After the period of suspension, the
agreement shall be reinstated upon request of the third-party tester.

   (G) A revocation of a third-party testing agreement pursuant to
subparagraph (D) shall be for a term of not less than one year. A
third-party tester may apply for a new third-party testing agreement
after the period of revocation and upon submission of proof of
correction of the circumstances causing the revocation.
   (H) Authorization for the department to charge the third-party
tester a fee, as determined by the department, which is sufficient to
defray the actual costs incurred by the department for administering
and evaluating the third-party testing program, and for carrying out
any other activities deemed necessary by the department to ensure
sufficient training for the drivers participating in the program.
   (3) Except as provided in Section 15250.3, the tests given by the
third party shall not be accepted in lieu of tests prescribed and
conducted by the department for applicants for a passenger vehicle
endorsement specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section
15278, if the applicant operates or will operate a tour bus.
   (d) Commercial driver's license applicants who take and pass
driving tests administered by a third party shall provide the
department with certificates of driving skill satisfactory to the
department that the applicant has successfully passed the driving
tests administered by the third party.
   (e) Implementation dates for the issuance of a commercial driver's
license pursuant to this chapter may be established by the
department as it determines is necessary to accomplish an orderly
commercial driver's license program. 
   (f) Active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, members
of the military reserves, members of the national guard who are on
active duty, including personnel on full-time national guard duty,
personnel on part-time national guard training, and national guard
military technicians (civilians who are required to wear military
uniforms), and active duty personnel of the United States Coast Guard
are exempt from all commercial driver's license requirements and
sanctions, as provided in Section 383.3(c) of Subpart A of Part 383
of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations when operating motor
vehicles for military purposes. This exception shall not apply to
United States Armed Forces reserve technicians. 
  SEC. 10.  Section 15326 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
   15326.  Upon receiving notification of an administrative action or
conviction of a commercial licenseholder in a state, territory, or
possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Dominion of Canada, the
department shall impose a suspension, revocation, or disqualification
action on that person's commercial driving privilege based upon
violations that would result in an administrative action or a
conviction pursuant to Section 383.51 of Subpart D of Part 383 and
Sections 384.206(b)(3), 384.213, and 384.231 of Subpart B of Part 384
of Title 49 of the Federal Code of Regulations. Those violations
include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
   (a) Violations of Sections 15300, 15302, and 15304.
   (b) Serious traffic violations, as defined in subdivision (p) of
Section 15210 and subject to the penalties under Section 15306 or
15308.
   (c) Providing false information under Section 15309.
   (d) Out-of-service order violations under Section 15311.
   (e) Railroad-highway crossing violations under Section 15312.
  SEC. 11.  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.