BILL NUMBER: AB 511	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 31, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Yamada

                        FEBRUARY 15, 2011

    An act relating to building standards.   An
act to add Section 21417 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to
aviation. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 511, as amended, Yamada.  Building standards: towers.
  Aeronautics: anemometer towers.  
   (1) Existing law, the State Aeronautics Act, governs aeronautics
in this state. One of the purposes of the act is to further and
protect the public interest in aeronautics and aeronautical progress
by fostering and promoting safety in aeronautics.  
   This bill would require an anemometer tower, as defined, to be
marked as prescribed.  
    Because any violation of the State Aeronautics Act is a crime and
the provisions of the bill would be within the act, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 

   (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.  
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.  
   The California Building Standards Law requires any building
standard adopted or proposed by a state agency to be submitted to,
and approved or adopted by, the California Building Standards
Commission prior to codification.  
   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would regulate the construction of low-level towers.

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program:  no
  yes  .


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 21417 is added to the 
 Public Utilities Code   , to read:  
   21417.  (a) As used in this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Anemometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording
the speed of the wind.
   (2) "Anemometer tower" means a structure, including all guy wires
and accessory facilities, on which an anemometer is mounted for the
purposes of documenting whether a site has wind resources sufficient
for the operation of a wind turbine generator.
   (b) An anemometer tower shall be marked as follows:
   (1) The top one-half of the anemometer tower shall be painted in
equal, alternating bands of aviation orange and white, beginning with
orange at the top of the tower and ending with orange at the bottom
of the marked portion of the tower.
   (2) Two marker balls shall be attached to and evenly spaced on
each of the outside guy wires.
   (3) The area surrounding each point where a guy wire is anchored
to the ground shall have a contrasting appearance with any
surrounding vegetation. If the adjacent land is grazed, the area
surrounding the anchor point shall be fenced. For the purposes of
this paragraph, "area surrounding the anchor point" means an area not
less than 64 square feet whose outer boundary is at least four feet
from the anchor point.
   (4) One or more seven-foot safety sleeves shall be placed at each
anchor point and shall extend from the anchor point along each guy
wire attached to the anchor point. 
   SEC. 2.    No reimbursement is required by this act
pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local
agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a
new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or
changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of
Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a
crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution.  
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would regulate the construction of
low-level towers.