BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2491 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 2491 (Nazarian) As Amended August 8, 2016 Majority vote -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: | 76-0 |(April 28, |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 15, | | | |2016) | | |2016) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: TRANS. SUMMARY: Authorizes local jurisdictions to restrict parking, stopping, and standing of vehicles in the vicinity of driveways used by certain emergency vehicles. The Senate amendments: 1)Clarify that "KEEP CLEAR" pavement markings shall be used to denote restricted zones where no stopping and standing of vehicles is allowed. 2)Makes related, conforming changes. EXISTING LAW: AB 2491 Page 2 1)Prohibits, with certain exceptions, persons from stopping, parking, or leaving a vehicle standing within 15 feet of a fire station driveway unless the vehicle is owned or operated by the fire station entities and is clearly marked, as specified. 2)Authorizes a local jurisdiction to provide appropriate curb markings and to post signs delineating the zone 15 feet zone adjacent to the fire station driveway entrance, as specified. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill: 1)Authorized a local authority, by ordinance, to prohibit parking, stopping, or leaving a vehicle standing, as specified, within 15 feet of a driveway used by emergency vehicles owned or operated by a fire department, police department, ambulance service care provider, and acute care hospital. 2)Provided that the no parking, standing, and stopping restriction does not apply to any vehicle owned or operated by the fire department, police department, ambulance service provider, or acute care hospital provided that the vehicles are clearly marked as belonging to the respective entity. 3)Required the local jurisdiction to post signs and provide appropriate curb markings that clearly delineate the no parking, standing, and stopping zones. FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS: According to the author, emergency service vehicles entering or exiting driveways of police stations, ambulance AB 2491 Page 3 service providers, and general acute care hospitals are often blocked by cars that are parked around or stopped in from of the driveway entrance. He notes that when emergency vehicles cannot enter or exit their facilities, critical response time is lost and important services are delayed. The author points to statistics provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services that approximately 295,000 patients are transported to emergency rooms each year and that over 2.2 million people received ambulatory care visits in Los Angeles County alone. The author also points out that, in particular, ambulance transport companies, who respond to millions of calls across the state annually, report frequently experiencing problems entering and exiting their facilities on emergency response calls. Unlike fire stations, there is no prohibition against vehicles stopping or standing in close proximity or in front of driveways of the emergency response providers identified in this bill. To address this issue, the author introduced this bill, which would authorize a local jurisdiction to, after the passage of an ordinance, prohibit stopping, parking, or leaving a vehicle standing within 15 feet of a driveway to a police station, ambulance service provider, or general acute care hospital provided that appropriate signs and curb markings delineate the restricted zones. Writing in support of this bill, the California Sheriffs' Association asserts that existing law rightly prohibits the stopping, parking, or standing of any vehicle within 15 feet of a fire station driveway entrance. They contend that it stands to reason that this prohibition be expanded to other facilities, such as police stations and hospitals, where clear access is needed to ensure timely response of emergency vehicles. Analysis Prepared by: Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0004024 AB 2491 Page 4