BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 286
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Date of Hearing: July 3, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 286 (Yee) - As Amended: June 24, 2013
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:13-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill extends, from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2018, the
sunset dates on granting high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) driving
lane privileges to electric vehicles and natural gas vehicles
(the white sticker program) and to advanced partial
zero-emission vehicles (AT PZEV) (the green sticker program).
The bill also deletes obsolete and redundant provisions
regarding alternative fuel vehicles.
FISCAL EFFECT
Continued minor ongoing administrative cost (around $60,000) for
the equivalent of one-half position at Caltrans associated with
federally-required analysis and reporting regarding HOV lanes
allowing single-occupant vehicles. With extension of the
sunsets, the one-time $700,000 cost for removing freeway signs
that inform clean vehicle motorists of HOV land privileges would
be deferred.
COMMENTS
1)HOV Background . An HOV lane, commonly referred to as a carpool
or diamond lane, is part of a traffic management strategy
designed to provide an incentive for commuters to form
carpools by offering reduced travel times.
HOV lane access to single-occupant clean air vehicles was
first authorized with AB 71 (Cunneen)/Chapter 330 of 1999, for
super ultra-low emission vehicles and inherently low-emission
vehicles (white sticker vehicles). That access was later
SB 286
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expanded to hybrid vehicles by AB 2628 (Pavley)/ Chapter 725
of 2006, which limited the aggregate number of stickers for
hybrids to 75,000. AB 2600 (Lieu)/Chapter 614 of 2006,
increased the limit on hybrid stickers to 85,000 and extended
AB 2628's sunset date from 2008 to 2011.
DMV reached the 85,000 sticker cap for hybrids in February
2007 and stopped issuing new hybrid stickers at that point,
and the HOV allowance for hybrids was allowed to sunset in
2011.
AB 1500 (Lieu)/Chapter 1500 of 2010 extended the authorization
for natural gas and electric vehicles, however, for five
years, until January 1, 2015. As of May 2012, DMV had issued
less than 20,000 white stickers and approximately 9,000 green
stickers.
2)Purpose . The author believes extending the HOV lane access to
clean air vehicles is an effective way to encourage the
purchase and lease of such vehicles. According to the author,
"The state thus achieves three important and complementary
goals: reduce vehicular air pollution, reduce petroleum
consumption, and increase economic activity through the sale
of technologically advanced cars."
3)Related Legislation . AB 266 (Blumenfield), pending in Senate
Transportation and Housing, extends the green sticker program
to 2018 and the white sticker program to 2020.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081