Amended in Assembly March 18, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2866

Introduced by Assembly Member Gatto

February 19, 2016

An act to begin delete amend Section 10851.5 end delete begin insert add and repeal Division 16.65 (commencing with Section 38755) end insert of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2866, as amended, Gatto. begin delete Binder chains. end delete begin insert Autonomous vehicles. end insert

begin insert

Existing law establishes certain criteria that must be met by a manufacturer of an autonomous vehicle in order for the manufacturer to operate the autonomous vehicle for testing purposes on public roads.

end insert begin insert

This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, until January 1, 2018, require the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol to conduct a pilot project in conjunction with one or more manufacturers of autonomous vehicles to test the safety and feasibility of operating autonomous vehicles on public roads. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to select 3 counties in which to conduct the pilot project and to contract with local law enforcement agencies to participate in the pilot project in each county. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to report the results of the pilot project to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2018. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2019.

end insert begin delete

Under existing law, a person who takes binder chains having a value of $950 or less that are not his or her own, without the owner’s consent and with intent either permanently or temporarily to deprive the owner of title to or possession of the binder chains, or any party or accessory to that act, is guilty of a misdemeanor, subject to imprisonment in the county jail, a fine, or both, as specified.

end delete begin delete

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions, including deleting an obsolete cross-reference.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Division 16.65 (commencing with Section 38755)
is added to the end insert begin insert Vehicle Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Division  begin insert 16.65. end insert   Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project

 

begin insert 38755. end insert   

Notwithstanding subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section
38750, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of
the California Highway Patrol shall, in conjunction with one or
more manufacturers of autonomous vehicles, conduct a pilot
project to test the safety and feasibility of operating autonomous
vehicles on public roads.

begin insert 38756. end insert   

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall select three
counties in which to conduct the road tests, and shall contract with
local law enforcement agencies for purposes of participating in
the road testing prior to conducting any road tests. A local agency
may consent to contract and participate, but shall not be required
to contract and participate, in the pilot project. The pilot project
shall commence on January 1, 2017, and shall terminate on
January 1, 2018.

begin insert 38757. end insert   

(a) For purposes of this division, the terms
“autonomous vehicle” and “manufacturer” have the same meaning
as set forth in Section 38750.

(b) Autonomous vehicles tested in the pilot project are not
required to be equipped with a steering wheel, brake pedal, or
accelerator, and may be operated without a driver inside the
vehicle.

begin insert 38758. end insert   

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall report the
results of the pilot project to the Legislature on or before July 1,
2018. A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be
submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code.

begin insert 38759. end insert   

This division shall remain in effect only until January
1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends
that date.

end insert

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SECTION 1.  

Section 10851.5 of the Vehicle Code is amended
to read:

10851.5.  

A person who takes binder chains having a value of
nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or less that are not his or her own,
without the consent of the owner thereof, and with intent either
permanently or temporarily to deprive the owner thereof of his or
her title to or possession of the binder chains, whether with or
without intent to steal the binder chains, or a person who is a party
or accessory to or an accomplice in the unauthorized taking or
stealing, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not less
than six months or by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars
($1,000) or by both the fine and imprisonment. The consent of the
owner of the binder chain to its taking shall not in any case be
presumed or implied because of the owner’s consent on a previous
occasion to the taking of the binder chain by the same or a different
person.

end delete