BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SCR 30
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: ANDERSON
VERSION: 6/14/11
Analysis by: Michelle Leinfelder
FISCAL:YES
Hearing date: June 21, 2011
SUBJECT:
CHP Officer Dan N. Benavides Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names a section of State Highway Route (SR) 15
in San Diego County as the CHP Officer Dan N. Benavides Memorial
Highway.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided extraordinary
public service or some exemplary contribution to the public
good and have a connection to the community where the highway
is located.
The person being honored must be deceased.
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the resolution
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles
in length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
SCR 30 (ANDERSON) Page 2
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith
effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior
designation.
This resolution designates the portion of SR 15 in San Diego
County between Gopher Canyon Road and the Old Highway 395
overcrossing as the "CHP Officer Dan N. Benavides Memorial
Highway." The resolution further requests that the Department
of Transportation erect appropriate signs upon receiving
donations from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author introduced this resolution as a tribute
to the life and work of
CHP Officer Dan N. Benavides, who died in the line of duty.
2.Background on Dan Benavides . Daniel Nava Benavides was born
in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in San Jose, California. He
graduated from Andrew Hill High School in San Jose in 1989 and
then attended Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. In 1997,
Officer Benavides, graduated from the California Highway
Patrol Academy as a pilot officer. After 33 months of service
in the Monterey area, Officer Benavides served in San Jose
from 1999 to 2000, in San Diego from 2000 to 2003, in
Oceanside from 2003 to 2005, and in the Border Division
Thermal Air Operations Unit from 2005 to 2010. On May 7,
2010, Officer Benavides began his shift working speed
enforcement for the air operations unit. Approximately two
hours later, Officer Benavides was in route to SH 8 to work
speed enforcement in the El Centro area when his Cessna 206
airplane crashed in a remote area of the Anza-Borrego Desert
in Borrego Springs, California.
Officer Benavides was a hard-working, dedicated officer who
loved his job and enjoyed the people with whom he worked. His
greatest joys were his wife and daughter and spending time
with friends and family. Officer Benavides is survived by his
wife, Megan, their daughter, Madeline, his mother, Consuelo,
and stepfather Forrest Hilton.
3.Consistent with the committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all of the provisions of the committee's
policy on highway.
SCR 30 (ANDERSON) Page 3
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 15,
2011)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.