BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1567
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 28, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                AB 1567 (Jeffries) - As Introduced:  January 31, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:14-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires an applicant for a new or renewed firefighter 
          endorsement to submit self-reported health information on a form 
          authorized by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible state costs.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author protests the current requirement that 
            an individual holding a noncommercial driver's license seeking 
            a new or renewed firefighter endorsement submit a report of 
            medical examination within the preceding four years, noting 
            that the requirement adds to the cost and burden of meeting 
            firefighting staffing needs, especially for fire departments 
            serving rural and remote areas.  The author contends this bill 
            will ensure the DMV receives the same quality of medical 
            information while easing the cost and burden of providing 
            firefighting services to California communities.

           2)Background  .  Current law authorizes the operation of 
            firefighting equipment by a person with a noncommercial class 
            C driver's license and a firefighting endorsement.  To obtain 
            the firefighting endorsement, a person must, among other 
            things, submit a Physician's Health Report. Until recently, 
            law required possession of a commercial driver's license to 
            operate firefighting equipment, for which an applicant needed 
            to submit a self-reported health questionnaire.









                                                                  AB 1567
                                                                  Page  2

           3) Related Legislation.
                
             a.   Chapter 369, Statutes of 2010 (AB 1648, Jeffries) 
               authorized the operation of firefighting equipment by an 
               individual who possesses a noncommercial class C driver's 
               license and a firefighting endorsement.

             b.   Chapter 92, Statutes of 2011 (AB 82, Jeffries), intended 
               as cleanup for Chapter 369, removed the requirement that 
               those operating firefighting equipment and who possess a 
               commercial driver's license also possess a firefighting 
               endorsement. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081