BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2441
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 9, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                AB 2441 (Mullin) - As Introduced:  February 21, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              Governmental  
          Organization Vote:                            17-1

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill would prohibit any advertising display visible from a  
          highway that appears to be an official public agency changeable  
          message sign (CMS). 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor increase in enforcement costs to state and local agencies  
          nonreimbursable, offset in part with fines paid by violators.

           COMMENTS  

          1)  Purpose.   According to the author, advertising displays that  
            imitate CMSs threaten the usefulness of public agency CMSs by  
            potentially confusing drivers, contributing to driver stress,  
            and reducing attention paid to legitimate public agency CMSs.

            AB 2441 protects the usefulness of CMSs by prohibiting an  
            advertising display visible from a highway that appears to be  
            an official public agency CMS.

          2)  Changeable Message Signs.   CMSs are used to provide advanced  
            warning of major highway incidents, route diversion  
            information and provide drivers with real-time information,  
            such as traffic updates, roadwork warnings, and other traffic  
            and safety and safety-related information.

          3)  Fake CMSs.   According to the author, there have been instances  
            where private companies have used advertising displays that  
            appear to be an official public agency changeable message sign  
            in order to advertise their products and services.








                                                                  AB 2441
                                                                  Page  2


            For example, Blue Jeans, a video conferencing company, erected  
            an advertising display in the Bay Area that purported to  
            provide estimated times for drivers to reach specified  
            destinations.  In the ad, the estimated time to reach Walnut  
            Creek was 45 minutes and the estimated time to reach Berkeley  
            was 30 minutes.  The last location on the sign was "Blue  
            Jeans," with an estimated time of 0 minutes, implying that  
            with video conferencing, commuters can reach any destination  
            instantly.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916) 319-2081