California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 863


Introduced by Assembly Member Dodd

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Brown)

(Coauthor: Senator Hill)

February 26, 2015


An act to amend Section 27375 of the Vehicle Code, relating to modified limousines.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 863, as introduced, Dodd. Modified limousines: passenger safety.

Existing law, on and after January 1, 2016, prohibits any person from operating a modified limousine that is modified prior to July 1, 2015, unless it is equipped with at least 2 rear side doors and one or 2 rear windows that the rear seat passengers or all passengers of the vehicle may open from the inside of the vehicle in case of any fire or other emergency, as specified.

This bill would instead make this prohibition operative on January 1, 2017.

Existing law requires, for modified limousines modified on or after July 1, 2015, that at least one of the side doors be located near the driver’s compartment and another near the back of the vehicle.

This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this provision.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 27375 of the Vehicle Code is amended
2to read:

3

27375.  

(a) Any person who operates a modified limousine
4shall ensure that the vehicle has at least two rear side doors and
5one or two rear windows, as specified in paragraph (1), that the
6rear seat passengers or all passengers of the vehicle may open from
7the inside of the vehicle in case of any fire or other emergency that
8may require the immediate exit of the passengers of the vehicle.
9A limousine subject to this section shall be equipped with both of
10the following:

11(1) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), at least two
12rear push-out windows that are accessible to all passengers. At
13least one push-out window shall be located on each side of the
14vehicle, unless the design of the limousine precludes the installation
15of a push-out window on one side of the vehicle, in which case
16the second push-out window shall instead be located in the roof
17of the vehicle.

18(B) If the design of the limousine precludes the installation of
19even one push-out window on a side of the vehicle, one push-out
20window shall instead be located in the roof of the vehicle.

21(C) The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall
22establish, by regulation, standards to ensure that window exits are
23operable and sufficient in emergency situations for limousine
24passengers. The department shall ensure that these regulations
25comply with any applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

26(2) At least two rear side doors that are accessible to all
27passengers and that may be opened manually by any passenger.
28At least one rear side door shall be located on each side of the
29vehicle. For modifiedbegin delete limousines,end deletebegin insert limousines modifiedend insert on or after
30July 1, 2015, at least one of these side doors shall be located near
31the driver’s compartment and another near the back of the vehicle.
32These side doors shall comply with any applicable federal motor
33vehicle safety standards as deemed necessary by the Department
34of the California Highway Patrol.

35(b) In the case of a fire or other emergency that requires the
36immediate exit of the passengers from the limousine, the driver of
37the limousine shall unlock the doors so that the rear side doors can
38be opened by the passengers from the inside of the vehicle.

P3    1(c) An owner or operator of a limousine shall do all of the
2following:

3(1) Instruct all passengers on the safety features of the vehicle
4prior to the beginning of any trip, including, but not limited to,
5instructions for lowering the partition between the driver and
6passenger compartments and for communicating with the driver
7by the use of an intercom or other onboard or wireless device.

8(2) Disclose to the contracting party and the passengers whether
9the limousine meets the safety requirements described in this
10section.

11(3) If paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) applies, the owner or
12operator of a limousine shall further disclose to the contracting
13party and the passengers that the limousine does not meet the safety
14requirements required in subdivision (a) regarding vehicle escape
15options because of its exempt status, and therefore may pose a
16greater risk to passengers should emergency escape be necessary.

17(d) (1) Subdivision (a) shall apply to all modified limousines
18modified on or after July 1, 2015.

19(2) Subdivision (a) shall, beginning January 1,begin delete 2016,end deletebegin insert 2017,end insert apply
20to all vehicles that met the definition of modified limousine, as
21described in subdivision (b) of Section 378, that are modified prior
22to July 1, 2015.

23(3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), subdivision (a) shall
24not apply to any limousine manufactured before 1970 that has an
25active transportation charter-party carrier (TCP) number that was
26issued by the commission as of August 15, 2013.

27(4) Subdivision (a) shall apply to any limousine manufactured
28before 1970 if it was modified after August 15, 2013.



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