BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 611
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 611 (Hill)
As Amended August 4, 2014
2/3 vote. Urgency
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
TRANSPORTATION 16-0 UTILITIES & COMMERCE
15-0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Lowenthal, Linder, |Ayes:|Bradford, Patterson, |
| |Achadjian, Ammiano, | |Bonilla, Buchanan, |
| |Bloom, Bonta, Buchanan, | |Ch�vez, Dahle, Fong, |
| |Daly, Frazier, Gatto, | |Beth Gaines, Garcia, |
| |Holden, Logue, Nazarian, | | Roger Hern�ndez, Jones, |
| |Patterson, Quirk-Silva, | |Mullin, Quirk, Rendon, |
| |Waldron | |Skinner |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
APPROPRIATIONS 16-1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, | | |
| |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian | | |
| |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, | | |
| |Gomez, Holden, Jones, | | |
| |Linder, Pan, Quirk, | | |
| |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, | | |
| |Weber | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Donnelly | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Requires all modified limousines, as defined, to be
equipped with two fire extinguishers and requires the California
Highway Patrol (CHP) to develop and implement an inspection
program for modified limousines, as specified. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Requires passenger stage corporations (PSCs) and charter-party
carrier of passengers (CPCs) to provide a list to the Public
SB 611
Page 2
Utilities Commission (PUC) specifically identifying each
modified limousine, as specified.
2)Prohibits PUC from issuing to a PSC or CPC any permit,
certificate, or authority to provide transportation services
if all required inspection fees are not submitted to PUC, as
specified. Further requires PUC to terminate any existing
permit, certificate, or authority of a PSC or CPC if all
required inspection fees are not submitted to PUC, as
specified.
3)Requires PUC to no later than January 1, 2015, to provide CHP
with a list of all modified limousines and their terminal
locations in order for CHP to promulgate regulations for a
limousine inspection program.
4)Repeals existing provisions requiring CPCs to obtain special
"livery" license plates issued by the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) and to permanently affix livery plates on all
limousines the CPC operates.
5)Provides a definition for "modified limousine", as specified.
6)Requires all modified limousines to be equipped with two fire
extinguishers, as specified. Requires a driver or operator of
a modified limousine to notify passengers of the location of
each fire extinguisher in the vehicle.
7)Requires CHP to establish a limousine inspection program and
requires terminals of modified limousines operated by a PSC or
CPC to be inspected by CHP once every 13 months.
8)Requires CHP to implement the limousine inspection program no
later than July 1, 2016, and requires CHP to adopt emergency
regulations for purposes of developing and implementing the
inspection program.
9)Requires CHP to establish an inspection fee through the
promulgation of regulations. Specifies the inspection fee
will be collected every 13 months, based on the number of
modified limousines operated by a PSC or CPC, and set at the
amount necessary to cover CHP's cost to administer the
limousine inspection program.
SB 611
Page 3
10)Requires the inspection fee to be collected by PUC and
requires CHP to transmit inspection data to PUC.
11) Adds double-jointing language to avoid chaptering out
conflicts with AB 2752 (Transportation Committee) of the
current legislative session.
12)Includes an urgency provision
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)The PUC will incur annual special fund costs of around
$200,000 to implement procedures and collect the required data
on limousines for transmission to the CHP and to collect
inspection fees on behalf of the department.
2)Significant cost to the CHP to establish and implement an
ongoing safety inspection program for modified limousines.
According to the CHP, these costs cannot be determined until
the CHP receives the data from the PUC on the number of
limousines and terminals to be inspected. Annual program
costs would likely be at least $2 million beginning in
2016-17.
COMMENTS : Last year in 2013, over a two-month period, two
limousine fires occurred in Northern California. On May 5,
2013, a limousine fire occurred on the San Mateo-Hayward 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. On June 11, 2013, nine passengers
successfully exited a limousine in Walnut Creek prior to the
vehicle catching fire while idling. In both cases, the modified
limousines were not subject to CHP inspections due to the
vehicle's seating capacity being less than 10 passengers. This
bill is in response to these incidents. The author asserts this
bill will improve the safety standards for modified limousines
by bringing them in line with the safety standards for larger
charter-party vehicles.
Please see the policy committee analysis for full discussion of
this bill.
SB 611
Page 4
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0004747