BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1353|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1353
Author: Patterson (R)
Introduced:2/27/15
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 11-0, 6/23/15
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 7/6/15
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 78-0, 6/1/15 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Highway rest areas: vending machines: utility
costs
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill exempts blind vendors from having to pay
utility costs for their vending machines operating in roadside
rest areas.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes the Business Enterprises Program for the Blind
(BEPB) within the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) to
provide blind persons with employment, economic opportunities,
and the means to be self-sufficient.
AB 1353
Page 2
2)Requires blind vendors to reimburse the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans) for costs of maintenance,
operations including the cost of utilities, and other
activities related to operating vending machines in state
roadside rest areas.
3)Requires the hosting agency to pay for the cost of utilities
for vending machines operated by blind vendors in state
buildings.
This bill exempts blind vendors from having to pay for utility
costs (e.g., electricity, water, sewer) incurred by their
vending machines operating at roadside rest areas and instead
requires Caltrans to pay for those utility costs using state
funds.
Comments
Purpose. The author believes that "this bill is needed to bring
equity into how the state treats blind vendors that service
state buildings and those that service state rest stop areas.
Furthermore, the discrepancy is inconsistent with the intent of
the BEPB because it threatens the viability and livelihood of
many California small business owners who are blind vendors."
Supporters note that blind vendors already pay the DOR 6% of
their sales for maintenance and support. Having these vendors
who operate at rest stops also pay for utility service seems
inequitable to them and financially hazardous.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill will
incur estimated increased costs of approximately $126,600
annually for Caltrans to pay BEPB vending machine utility costs
at all roadside rest areas (State Highway Account).
AB 1353
Page 3
SUPPORT: (Verified7/6/15)
California Council of the Blind
Resources for Independence Central Valley
15 individuals
OPPOSITION: (Verified7/6/15)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 78-0, 6/1/15
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau,
Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly,
Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gray,
Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low,
Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin,
Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea,
Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago,
Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber,
Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Burke, Gordon
Prepared by:Randy Chinn / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
7/8/15 12:03:37
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