BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2322
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Date of Hearing: April 27, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2322 (Chu) - As Introduced February 18, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the DMV to provide the recipient of a
driver's instruction permit with a removable and transferrable
decal that reads "student driver," and authorizes the permit
holder to display the decal on the side or rear window of the
vehicle when driving.
FISCAL EFFECT:
AB 2322
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The DMV indicates that, based on the number of instruction
permits issued in 2015, 1.1 million decals would be issued
annually. At a cost of $2.75, and assuming 10% of permit holders
would request a duplicate decal, annual cost for materials would
be $3.3 million. Additional statewide staff costs, for field
office interactions, phone calls requesting replacement of
decals, and postage, would be several hundred thousand dollars
annually.
COMMENTS:
1)Background. Under current law, a person at least 15 years and
6 months of age may apply for, and be issued a driver's
instruction permit. With this permit, the person may only
drive a motor vehicle when accompanied by a person over the
age of 18 who has a valid California driver's license and is
riding in the passenger seat. The driver with the instruction
permit must complete six hours of behind-the-wheel driver
training and an additional 50 hours of supervised driving
practice before being issued a provisional driver's license.
2)Purpose. This bill is intended to alleviate the hazardous
situations novice drivers find themselves in when first
learning to drive. The author states that teen drivers are
more of a risk of an accident than older drivers because they
tend to underestimate or not recognize dangerous situations.
The author intends that, by alerting other motorists to a
novice driver's presence, the student driver decals created by
this bill will encourage other drivers to give the novice
driver more space and treat them with greater deference. This
will in turn encourage student drivers to feel more
comfortable and make the state's roadways more safe.
AB 2322
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Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081