BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SCR 43
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 12, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SCR 43 (DeSaulnier) - As Amended: August 6, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 33-0
SUBJECT : CHP Officer Kenyon Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing
SUMMARY : Designates the Livorna Road Undercorssing of State
Route (SR) 680 in Contra Costa County as the "CHP Officer Kenyon
Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing." Specifically, this bill :
1)Recounts the lifetime accomplishments of CHP Officer Kenyon
Youngstrom, an exceptional officer, mentor and recruiter for
the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and a devoted husband and
father.
2)Designates the Livorna Road Undercrossing (Bridge No. 28-191)
on State Route (SR) 680 in Contra Costa County as the "CHP
Officer Kenyon Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing."
3)Requests that the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent
with the signing requirements for the state highway system,
showing the special designation and, upon receiving donations
from non-state sources covering that cost, to erect those
signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This includes the installation
and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Costs to Caltrans to erect the signs are to be
covered by non-state donations.
COMMENTS : Born in 1974 in Pasadena, California, Kenyon
Youngstrom graduated from high school in Riverside in 1993. He
attended college in both Riverside and Napa counties. In 2005,
he entered the CHP Academy and graduated six months later and
began his service with the CHP in the Contra Costa County area.
Officer Youngstrom served in both the Contra Costa and the
Golden Gate Divisions in his seven-year CHP career.
SCR 43
Page 2
On September 4, 2012, Officer Youngstrom stopped on the shoulder
of southbound SR 680, near Livorna Road in Alamo, to check on a
deer carcass. At approximately 8:20 a.m. another officer
radioed that he was pulling over a vehicle for an obstructed
license plate. As the vehicle approached Officer Youngstrom's
position, Officer Youngstrom signaled for the driver to pull in
behind his parked patrol car.
After the vehicle stopped, Officer Youngstrom began speaking
with the driver as the other officer parked behind them.
Officer Youngstrom was still speaking with the subject when the
man suddenly pulled a handgun and shot him in the head through
the window, knocking Officer Youngstrom into the travel lane of
the highway. The other officer immediately returned fire,
killing the subject.
Officer Youngstrom was transported to John Muir Medical Center
where he remained on life support until succumbing to his wound
the next day. Officer Youngstrom is survived by his wife,
Karen, and their four children, Alexander, Madison, Andrew, and
Kennedy, as well as his mother and five siblings.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Association of Highway Patrolmen (sponsor)
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093