BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 719
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 8, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 719
(Hernandez) - As Amended April 21, 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Transportation |Vote:|16 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill:
1)Authorizes Caltrans, in coordination with the CHP, to test
SB 719
Page 2
technologies enabling drivers to safely operate motor vehicles
with less than 100 feet between each vehicle or combination of
vehicles.
2)Requires Caltrans to report its finding from the above test to
the Legislature by July 1, 2017.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Costs to Caltrans for the testing and report will be covered
under a $2 million demonstration program funded through a $1.6
million federal grant and $460,000 in state and local sources.
COMMENTS:
Purpose. A partnership between Caltrans, the University of
California at Berkeley, private truck manufacturers, and others
recently received a federal grant to demonstrate partially
automated trucks in closely spaced operations, also known as
"truck platooning." Caltrans states that this grant funding
supports a research project designed to explore three potential
benefits of truck platooning: increasing throughput, reducing
fuel consumption due to improved aerodynamics, and the resulting
emission reductions from reduced fuel consumption.
According to the author, Caltrans needs a temporary exemption
from the 100-foot minimum spacing in current law in order to
perform the truck platooning tests.
SB 719
Page 3
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081