Bill Text: CA AB1594 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles: public agency utilities.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 585, Statutes of 2023. [AB1594 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1594-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1594

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Introduced by Assembly Member Garcia

February 17, 2023

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An act to amend Section 165 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1594, as introduced, Garcia. Authorized emergency vehicles.

Existing law generally regulates authorized emergency vehicles, and exempts the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from various provisions of the rules of the road, as contained in the Vehicle Code, if, among other things, the vehicle is being driven in response to an emergency call, the driver of the vehicle sounds a siren, and the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp visible from the front as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians. Existing law defines “authorized emergency vehicle” to include, among others, any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment.

This bill would instead define authorized emergency vehicle to include any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used for, among other things, repairing damaged lighting or electrical infrastructure.

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 165 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

165.

 An authorized emergency vehicle is:

(a) Any publicly owned and operated ambulance, lifeguard, or lifesaving equipment or any privately owned or operated ambulance licensed by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to operate in response to emergency calls.

(b) Any publicly owned vehicle operated by the following persons, agencies, or organizations:

(1) Any federal, state, or local agency, department, or district employing peace officers as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Part 2 of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, for use by those officers in the performance of their duties.

(2) Any forestry or fire department of any public agency or fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code.

(c) Any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment. infrastructure.

(d) Any state-owned vehicle used in responding to emergency fire, rescue, or communications calls and operated either by the Office of Emergency Services or by any public agency or industrial fire department to which the Office of Emergency Services has assigned the vehicle.

(e) (1) Any vehicle owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe used in responding to emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls. For the purposes of this section and the provisions of Sections 2501 and 2510, a vehicle used in responding to emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe is considered an authorized emergency vehicle.

(2) Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.

(f) Any vehicle for which an authorized emergency vehicle permit has been issued by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.