BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1960
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 4, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1960 (Lackey) - As Amended March 18, 2016
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|Policy |Transportation |Vote:|15 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill excludes an agricultural vehicle, as defined, from the
Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) program conducted by the
CHP.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Any costs to the CHP will be minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS:
AB 1960
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1)Background. The BIT program was implemented to ensure the safe
operation of commercial vehicles by a motor carrier through
the inspection of those vehicles at motor carrier terminals.
AB 529 (Lowenthal), Chapter 500, Statutes of 2013, revised the
BIT program to establish a performance-based model for motor
carrier terminal inspections, moving away from inspections
occurring once every 25 months to a model where regularly
compliant motor carriers may be inspected only once every six
years. Non-compliant carriers are targeted for additional
inspections to ensure compliance. In switching to this
performance-based system, more classifications of commercial
motor vehicles were brought into the jurisdiction of BIT
inspections, both increasing the number of vehicles inspected
for safety by CHP and spreading program operating costs over a
greater number of vehicles. Implementation of the revised BIT
program began January 1, 2016, and annual fees start at $130
per terminal for the smallest fleet sizes.
2)Purpose. This bill exempts certain agriculture-related
vehicles from being inspected under the BIT program.
According to the author, BIT inspections of vehicle and
vehicle combinations, including commonly-used pickup trucks
and trailers used by farmers and ranchers in their commercial
enterprises and as their personal vehicles, are time-consuming
and a minor violation could lead to further enforcement, which
may restrict an individual from operating a vehicle critical
to his or her farming or ranching functions. The author
argues, "Although the BIT program may be appropriate for
California's for-hire semi-truck fleet, regulating small
family farmers and ranchers using pickups to haul tractors,
equipment or a handful of cows is simply unnecessary."
While agricultural vehicles as defined by this bill would be
exempt from BIT inspections, they would still be required to
comply with numerous other commercial vehicle regulations,
AB 1960
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including motor carrier permit requirements, commercial
driver's license requirements, traveling through roadway
inspection areas or scales, maintaining logbooks and tracking
hours of service of operators, and paying weight fees.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081