BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 62|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 62
Author: Portantino (D)
Amended: 3/26/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMM. : 7-0, 6/9/09
AYES: Lowenthal, Huff, Ashburn, DeSaulnier, Hollingsworth,
Pavley, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harman, Kehoe, Oropeza, Simitian
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 4/27/09 (Consent) See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Vehicles: television broadcast or video signal
displays
SOURCE : Daimler
DIGEST : This bill permits a person to drive a motor
vehicle if a video screen displaying a video signal or
television broadcast is operating in the front seat area
under specified conditions.
ANALYSIS : Existing law prohibits a vehicle from being
operated if a video screen displaying a video signal or
television broadcast is located in front of the back of the
driver's seat or if it is operating and is visible to the
driver while driving the motor vehicle. Vehicle
information displays, global positioning systems (GPS),
mapping displays, visual displays to supplement a driver's
CONTINUED
AB 62
Page
2
view, and video screens with interlock devices that disable
the equipment when the vehicle is driven are exempt from
this prohibition. In addition, existing law exempts from
this prohibition mobile digital terminals in emergency
vehicles and terminals in vehicles owned or operated by
electric, gas, or telephone utilities under specified
conditions.
This bill permits a person to drive a motor vehicle if a
video screen displaying a video signal or television
broadcast is at a point forward of the back of the driver's
seat, provided that the video screen is designed, operated,
and configured in a manner that prevents the driver from
viewing the broadcast or signal while operating the vehicle
in a safe and reasonable manner.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/11/09)
Daimler (source)
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
this bill was introduced to make legal new video technology
known as "splitview," which the automaker Daimler plans to
offer as an option on certain makes of Mercedes automobiles
beginning in the 2010 model year. Splitview allows a video
screen mounted in a vehicle's dashboard to display GPS to
the driver and a video or television broadcast to the front
seat passenger. The author notes that existing provisions
of the California Vehicle Code predate this technology by
specifying that video screens can only be mounted rearward
of the driver's seatback. Daimler and the author state
that splitview technology meets the intent of existing law,
namely, preventing a driver from being distracted by
certain displays while driving, but not the requirement to
be behind the back of the driver's seat.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, B.
Berryhill, T. Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,
AB 62
Page
3
Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, De Vore,
Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue,
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielson, J. Perez, V.M. Perez, Portantino, Price,
Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Yamada, Bass
JA:nl 6/11/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****