BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 1174
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 8, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   SB 1174 (Walters) - As Amended:  June 27, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                             
          TransportationVote:14-0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes the California Department of Transportation 
          (Caltrans) and local authorities to permit a combination of 
          vehicles consisting of a truck tractor-semitrailer with a length 
          of not more than 56 feet as long as the vehicle combination is 
          used primarily in connection with motorsports.  The bill also 
          requires Caltrans to conduct a field test of the 56-foot 
          motorsport vehicle combinations to evaluate their performance on 
          various segments of the National Network and transition routes.  
          The bill sunsets its provisions on January 1, 2016.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor one-time costs, in the tens of thousands of dollars, to 
          Caltrans to conduct field tests (special fund).

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author intends this bill to accommodate 
            certain motorsport racing teams that use 56-foot semitrailers 
            to transport vehicles, equipment, and crews.  According to the 
            author, up until June 2005, the operation of 56-foot 
            motorsport semitrailers in California had not been a problem 
            because CHP consistently withheld enforcement. CHP, however, 
            recently has begun issuing tickets for vehicles violating the 
            existing 53-foot length limit.  The author contends there is 
            no evidence these larger, 56-foot, vehicle combinations cause 
            a public safety concern over the 53-foot semitrailers are 
            currently authorized to operate in California.

           2)Background.    Consistent with federal law, state law generally 








                                                                  SB 1174
                                                                  Page  2

            limits the kingpin-rear-axle length on trailers to 40 feet and 
            total semitrailer length to 53 feet.  Federal law and state 
            law also prohibit states from prescribing or enforcing 
            regulations imposing a limitation of less than 46 feet on the 
            KPRA distance on trailers used exclusively or primarily in 
            connection with motorsports as long as they adhered to the 
            53-foot maximum overall trailer length. 

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