BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 755
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 755 (Ammiano)
As Amended September 6, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |57-10|(May 16, 2013) |SENATE: |33-0 |(September 10, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: TRANS.
SUMMARY : Requires consideration of a suicide barrier for new or
replacement bridge projects, under certain conditions.
The Senate amendments recast the Assembly-approved version of
this bill to require project initiation documents related to any
new project involving the construction of a new bridge or the
replacement of a bridge with a history of documented suicides to
document that a suicide barrier was considered during the
project's planning process. The amendments also specifically
declare that a public entity and its employees are not liable
for an injury arising from the design, installation, or
maintenance of a suicide barrier, or lack thereof, on a bridge.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : The author has introduced this bill to increase the
consideration for suicide barriers on the state's bridges. His
office reports that this bill is as a result of the author's
work to secure a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Statistics point to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge as the
location of more suicides than virtually any other location in
the world. Since it opened in 1937, over 1,400 confirmed deaths
have been reported with untold others having gone undetected.
In 2008, directors of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and
Transportation District voted to install a suicide barrier on
the bridge. The planned barrier will be a stainless-steel net
system that will make it nearly impossible for someone to commit
suicide from jumping from the bridge. The cost of the barrier
is estimated to be $40 million to $50 million. These costs
AB 755
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could have undoubtedly been reduced substantially had the
barrier been incorporated into the initial designs of the
bridge.
Ample evidence exists to support the effectiveness of suicide
barriers. For example, in a 2006 English National Institute of
Mental Health study, researchers analyzed all suicide prevention
approaches- including for example, barriers, signs, telephone
hotlines, and bridge patrols-and concluded that "The most
effective form of prevention at jumping sites is a physical
barrier which literally restricts access to the drop."
Furthermore, studies show that once people are prevented from
jumping, they typically do not go on to commit suicide by other
means.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0002660