Bill Text: CA AB1017 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: New or modified railroad crossings: approval.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-09-05 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 233, Statutes of 2019. [AB1017 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1017-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 23, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1017

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Introduced by Assembly Member Boerner Horvath

February 21, 2019

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An act to add Section 7615 1202.4 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to railroads.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1017, as amended, Boerner Horvath. Railroads: at-grade pedestrian New or modified railroad crossings: supplemental safety measure improvements. approval.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has the exclusive power to to, among other things, determine and prescribe the manner and the terms of installation, operation, maintenance, use, and protection of specified rail crossings. Under existing law, except as provided, a bell, siren, horn, whistle, or similar audible warning device shall be sounded at any public crossing in accordance with federal law. railroad crossings and to authorize on an application-by-application basis and supervise the operation of pilot projects to evaluate proposed crossing warning devices, new technology, or other additional safety measures at designated crossings, with the consent of the local jurisdiction, the affected railroad, and other interested parties, including, but not limited to, represented railroad employees.

To the extent consistent with federal law, this bill would require the commission to identify standardized supplemental safety measure improvements for at-grade pedestrian crossings, as specified.

This bill would require the PUC, if a city or county develops and adopts, by resolution upon a majority vote of the city council or the board of supervisors, a plan to improve mobility for multimodal access that calls for new or modified railroad crossings, to make an engineer available from the Rail Crossings and Engineering Branch to assist and advise that city or county on the safety of the planned railroad crossings prior to the filing of an application to the commission for the approval of the new or modified railroad crossings.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 1202.4 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

1202.4.

 If a city or county develops and adopts, by resolution upon a majority vote of the city council or the board of supervisors, a plan to improve mobility for multimodal access that calls for new or modified railroad crossings, the commission shall make an engineer available from the Rail Crossings and Engineering Branch to assist and advise that city or county on the safety of the planned railroad crossings prior to the filing of an application to the commission for the approval of the new or modified railroad crossings.

SECTION 1.Section 7615 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

7615.

(a)The commission shall identify standardized supplemental safety measure improvements for at-grade pedestrian crossings, which preclude the proforma train horn notification. In addition, the commission shall identify supplemental safety measures that would meet the standard of care for wayside horns, bells and a specific decibel volume appropriate for pedestrians, audible at a specified distance from the at-grade pedestrian crossing.

(b)The commission shall implement subdivision (a) only to the extent that implementation of subdivision (a) is consistent with federal law.