BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 109
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 3, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 109 (Corbett) - As Amended:  June 26, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:10-3

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires limousines operating in the state to be  
          equipped with emergency exits. Specifically, this bill:

          1)Requires limousines that have been modified or extended for  
            purposes of increasing vehicle length and passenger capacity  
            to have at least two rear side doors and two rear windows, as  
            specified, that passengers may open in case of an emergency.

          2)Applies the above requirements to all limousines modified or  
            extended after January 1, 2015, and, beginning January 1,  
            2016, to all limousines that were modified or extended prior  
            to January 1, 2015.

          3)Requires a limousine operator to instruct all passengers  
            regarding the vehicle's safety features and to disclose  
            whether the vehicle meets the above safety requirements.

          4)Prohibits a licensed charter-party carrier from operating a  
            limousine that does not conform to the requirements in (1).

          5)Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which  
            regulates charter-party carriers, to adopt rules to implement  
            (4).

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          One-time special fund costs up to $140,000 for the PUC to adopt  
          the required rules. This will require a part-time transportation  
          analyst, attorney, and administrative law judge. Ongoing PUC  
          costs for enforcement will be absorbable. [Transportation  








                                                                  SB 109
                                                                  Page  2

          Reimbursement Account]

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . In early June, the author gutted and amended this  
            bill in response to two recent limousine fires. On May 4,  
            2013, a limousine fire occurred on the San Mateo Bridge,  
            killing five passengers who were unable to escape the vehicle.  
             Several of the other passengers were able to exit the  
            limousine only after climbing through the partition window  
            separating the passengers from the driver. Similarly, on June  
            9, 2013, nine passengers successfully exited a limousine in  
            Walnut Creek prior to the vehicle catching fire while idling.

           2)Opposition  . The Greater California Livery Association (GCLA)  
            is concerned about the bill's potential impact on small  
            operators and the issue presented by prohibiting limousine  
            drivers from disabling interior door unlocking, which the  
            GCLA's contends would provide a "dangerous opportunity for  
            passengers to exit the vehicle before the driver determines  
            that existing is safe."

           3)Related Legislation  . SB 338 (Hill), an urgency measure pending  
            in Senate Appropriations, requires limousines to be equipped  
            with two fire extinguishers.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081