BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 995


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          Date of Hearing:  May 13, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          995 (Bigelow) - As Amended April 29, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  YesReimbursable:   
          No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill adds onion hauling trucks, as defined, to the list of  
          farm vehicles that are exempt from DMV registration  
          requirements, under specified conditions, including that the  








                                                                     AB 995


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          truck is designed exclusively to transport onion a distance not  
          to exceed 20 miles from the field to a processing or packing  
          shed. The bill also requires the driver of an onion hauling  
          truck to have a valid Class A driver's license.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Potential, but very minor nonreimbursable costs for enforcement,  
          partially offset by fine revenues. 


          COMMENTS:


          1)Background and Purpose. Current law, with certain exceptions,  
            requires that motor vehicles operated on highways be  
            registered with DMV.  Additionally, existing law requires that  
            commercial vehicles comply with the Motor Carrier Safety  
            Improvement Act of 1996, which generally requires payment of  
            fees to support highway maintenance and enforcement programs,  
            periodic safety inspections conducted by the CHP, and  
            participation in operator drug and alcohol testing programs. 


            While use of farm vehicles on highways is generally restricted  
            to protect the safety of the traveling public, existing law  
            also exempts from registration requirements and commercial  
            vehicle safety requirements a number of farm vehicles that are  
            operated on highways beyond the typical one-mile limit. AB 995  
            exempts onion hauling trucks, as defined, from registration  
            requirements and allows them to travel up to 20 miles on  
            highways. If an onion farmer wanted to use the truck for some  
            other purpose, then the truck would have to be registered with  
            DMV in order to be operated on highways.  AB 995 additionally  
            requires that these trucks comply with all commercial vehicle  
            safety requirements.









                                                                     AB 995


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          2)Prior Legislation. In 2014, AB 1908 (Bigelow), which would  
            have exempted onion hauling trucks from registration and  
            commercial motor vehicle safety requirements, was never heard  
            in policy committee at the author's request. 


          Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081