BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1174|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
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|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1174
Author: Walters (R), et al.
Amended: 5/1/12
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 7-0, 4/24/12
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Rubio,
Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley, Simitian
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Vehicles: length limitations: motorsports
SOURCE : National Hot Rod Association
Professional Racer Owners Association
Western Motorsports
DIGEST : This bill permits extra-long semitrailers of up
to 56 feet, if the semitrailer is used primarily in
connection with motorsports.
ANALYSIS : Most large trucks on the highway are truck
tractor-trailer combinations. Typically, a truck tractor
pulls a semitrailer. A semitrailer is a trailer that is
constructed so that some part of its weight and load rests
upon or is carried by another vehicle, usually a truck
tractor. A kingpin is the main pin used to connect a
semitrailer to a tractor truck. The distance from the
kingpin to the rear axle, referred to as KP-RA length,
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determines the width of the turning radius of the
tractor-trailer combination. Generally, any increase in
the wheelbase of any vehicle in a combination of vehicles
will result in more roadway used to complete a turn.
On specified federal and state routes, existing law allows
semitrailers of up to 53 feet with a maximum KP-RA distance
for a semitrailer with two-axels of not more than 40 feet,
provided the truck tractor is pulling only the semitrailer.
Existing state law also authorizes the Department of
Transportation or a local authority, for highways under
their respective jurisdictions, to issue special permits
authorizing vehicle combinations consisting of a truck
tractor-semitrailer with a KP-RA distance of no more than
46 feet for vehicles used primarily in connection with
motorsports. These semitrailers also may be up to 53 feet
in length, as existing federal law limits semitrailers in
California to a length of no more than 53 feet.
Existing law defines motorsports to mean an event, and all
activities leading up to that event, that an organization
of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United
States has sanctioned.
This bill permits extra-long semitrailers of up to 56 feet,
if the semitrailer is used primarily in connection with
motorsports.
Background
Federal pre-emption . Federal law, the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, limits semitrailer
lengths in each state to the maximum length the state
allowed under its laws in effect on December 1, 1982. The
"grandfathered" limits are spelled out for each state in an
appendix to federal regulations. For California, federal
law thus limits semitrailer lengths to no more than 53
feet. Other state limits range from 48 feet in 25 states
to 59 feet 6 inches in Oklahoma and Louisiana. Eight
states allow semitrailers of 56 or more feet in length on
their highways.
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Existing federal law pre-empts any change to a state law
enacted after December 1, 1982 that attempts to lengthen
the semitrailers permitted on that state's highways.
Therefore, should this bill be enacted, federal law would
pre-empt it.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) enforcement history .
Before 2005, law enforcement and CHP did not consistently
enforce the 53-foot limit on semitrailers related to
motorsports. After further review commenced under a new
commissioner, CHP officers began ticketing and impounding
vehicles with semitrailers exceeding the 53 foot length
limit and have done so since 2005.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/15/12)
National Hot Rod Association (co-source)
Professional Racer Owners Organization (co-source)
Western Motorsports (co-source)
Alan Johnson Racing
Cruz Pedregon Racing
Don Schumacher Racing
T.W. Racing Inc.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author's office states that
even though motorsport trailers meet both weight and
kingpin to rear axle requirements, their overall length of
56 feet is 3 feet longer than state law allows. When law
enforcement measures and impounds these 56-foot trailers,
it costs racing teams tens of thousands of dollars and
gives them a disincentive to participate at events held in
California.
The author's office asserts that all other states offer
these motorsports trailers either an exemption or a
permitting process, or they simply withhold enforcement so
the trailers can operate within their jurisdictions.
Proponents contend that California is the only state that
intentionally fines and impounds these trailers for being
longer than the 53 feet and state that failure to change
the law could result in racing organizations and teams
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pulling out of events in California to avoid the risk of
these costly regulations. This will have a negative impact
on any potential economic recovery and would also result in
General Fund revenue reductions.
JJA:do 5/16/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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