BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2660 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 2660 (Solorio) As Amended April 9, 2012 Majority vote TRANSPORTATION 12-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, | | | | |Achadjian, Blumenfield, | | | | |Bonilla, Buchanan, Eng, | | | | |Carter, Galgiani, Miller, | | | | |Norby, Portantino, | | | | |Solorio | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Exempts vehicles owned, operated, or leased by federal, state, or local law enforcement, during the performance of duty, from prohibitions on window tinting for passenger- and driver-side windows. EXISTING LAW : 1)Prohibits driving a motor vehicle with any object or material on a windshield or side windows, with certain exceptions, that obstructs or reduces the driver's clear vision. 2)Prohibits affixing or applying any transparent material to a windshield or side or rear window of a vehicle if the material alters the color or reduces the light transmittance of the window, with certain exceptions. 3)Authorizes the installation of tinted safety glass in a vehicle provided the material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 70% and the driver has in his or her possession a certificate signed by the window glazing installer certifying that the material meets all specified requirements. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS : State law prohibits certain window tinting on vehicles because window tinting makes it difficult for peace AB 2660 Page 2 officers to see into a vehicle. This is particularly true when an officer approaches a vehicle that has been stopped. Although the law provides some exceptions, those exceptions do not exempt window tinting on police vehicles, including unmarked vehicles used by undercover police officers. The author notes that undercover peace officers frequently use window tinting on driver- and passenger-side windows to blend in with vehicle fads and to protect officers from being detected when they are working undercover. Difficulties arise, however, when a police officer stops an undercover officer for illegal window tinting. The arresting officer may be required to issue a citation because the law does not specifically exempt law enforcement. The police department that was issued the citation must then expend resources to have it dismissed in court or pay the fine. The author argues that this process wastes critical time and public safety resources on a technicality that could be easily avoided. Therefore, the author has introduced this legislation to exempt law enforcement from the prohibition on the use of window tinting, making it possible for an officer to display identification as evidence that the vehicle meets exemption requirements. The author contends that this bill will save law enforcement time and money and allow them to focus their resources on protecting public safety. Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319- 2093 FN: 0003361