BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 1567
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: jeffries
VERSION:
1/31/2012
Analysis by: Eric Thronson FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 12, 2012
SUBJECT:
Driver's licenses: firefighter endorsement
DESCRIPTION:
This bill eliminates the requirement to submit a report of
medical examination to qualify for a firefighter endorsement on
one's driver's license, and instead requires the submission of
self-reported medical information upon application for the
endorsement and every two years thereafter.
ANALYSIS:
In order to operate a motor vehicle upon a highway, existing law
requires a person to hold a valid driver's license appropriate
for the type of vehicle he or she is operating. Existing law
generally requires drivers to hold a Class A or B license to
operate larger and commercial vehicles, while most drivers hold
a Class C license, typically used to operate passenger cars and
pick-up trucks.
To operate firefighting equipment, such as fire trucks, hook and
ladder trucks, or other vehicles used in response to
emergencies, a firefighter may either have a Class A or B
driver's license, or a Class C license with a firefighter
endorsement. To qualify for a firefighter endorsement, existing
law requires the driver to do all of the following:
Provide proof of current employment as a firefighter or
registration as a volunteer firefighter;
Provide evidence of fire equipment operation training;
Pass the written firefighter examination; and
Submit a report of medical examination, specifically a
Physician's Health Report, dated within four years of the
application.
AB 1567 (JEFFRIES) Page 2
In 2010, the Legislature passed AB 1648 (Jeffries) Chapter 360,
which reformed how the state licenses firefighters. Before AB
1648, in order to operate firefighting equipment in response to
emergencies a driver had to either have a Class A or B license
or a restricted firefighter license, which was similar to the
Class A or B license but restricted to the operation of
firefighting equipment. Individuals with either Class A, B, or
restricted firefighter licenses were required to take a driving
test at either a branch office of the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) or at third-party testing stations; after AB
1648, firefighters can earn their firefighter endorsements to
their Class C licenses by completing a firefighting course and
without taking a driving test. Further, before AB 1648,
applicants for a restricted firefighter driver's license were
only required to submit medical information in the form of a
self-certifying health questionnaire or medical examination
report. Since January 1, 2011, applicants for a firefighter
endorsement are required to submit a Physician's Health Report,
which is a document similar to the self-certifying health
questionnaire but that requires a physician's signature.
This bill eliminates the requirement to submit a report of
medical examination to qualify for a firefighter endorsement,
and instead requires the submission of self-certified medical
information upon application for the endorsement and every two
years thereafter.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . According to the author, this bill removes
unnecessary regulatory red tape and saves fire departments
money and time. The author contends that AB 1648 of 2010,
through reforming how the state provides driver's licenses for
firefighters, reduced the cost and workload of both local fire
departments and the DMV with the exception of one requirement.
The new firefighter endorsement process, the author claims,
unnecessarily includes a drastic modification to the medical
requirement needed by firefighters to receive their necessary
driver's license. The author concludes that this modification
created an additional $50 to $100 cost per firefighter for
already cash-strapped departments while providing no more
information to the DMV than the previous self-certifying
process.
2.Issues . This bill raises a number of issues, including the
following:
AB 1567 (JEFFRIES) Page 3
According to data compiled by the California Highway
Patrol, there are roughly 350 to 450 collisions statewide
involving fire trucks each year, with more than 80 percent
of these collisions only involving property damage. While
the data does not include reasons for these accidents, it
seems unlikely many of them are related to the health of
the fire truck drivers. While the data varies from year to
year, it does not seem to indicate any improvement from the
stricter medical requirements. It is unclear whether these
stricter requirements have or will lead to any demonstrable
reductions in accidents.
While the DMV has no official position on the bill, it
has not been able to provide any statistical evidence that
the higher medical requirement enacted by AB 1648 has
improved outcomes. Further, DMV indicates that it has no
operational concerns with the increased frequency of the
medical information submission required by this bill.
Proponents, primarily rural fire districts, indicate
that the current medical reporting requirement is costly
and burdensome. They also indicate that they see no real
benefit from requiring firefighters to obtain a physician's
signature on a questionnaire they would otherwise sign
themselves under penalty of perjury. To the proponents,
the increased requirements in AB 1648 simply added to the
overwhelming regulatory challenges that small, local,
rural, and all volunteer fire departments face.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 70 - 0
Approps: 15 - 0
Trans: 14 - 0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 6, 2012)
SUPPORT: Regional Council of Rural Counties
Trinity County Fire Chief's Association
Trinity County Board of Supervisors
OPPOSED: None received
AB 1567 (JEFFRIES) Page 4