Bill Text: CA AB1720 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Vehicles: bus gross weight.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-08-22 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 263, Statutes of 2014. [AB1720 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB1720-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1720 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 263
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 22, 2014
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 22, 2014
PASSED THE SENATE JULY 3, 2014
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 7, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 10, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bloom
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
An act to amend Section 35554 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1720, Bloom. Vehicles: bus gross weight.
Existing law generally prohibits a publicly owned or operated
transit system from procuring a transit bus whose weight on any
single axle exceeds 20,500 pounds. Existing law, until January 1,
2015, exempts from this prohibition a transit system that is
procuring a new bus that is of the same or lesser weight than the bus
it is replacing, or if it is incorporating a new fleet class into
its inventory and its governing board makes certain findings.
This bill would extend the operation of those exceptions until
January 1, 2016, and would also, until January 1, 2016, authorize a
transit system to procure a transit bus that exceeds 20,500 pounds if
it is incorporating a new fleet class expansion.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 35554 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by
Section 3 of Chapter 771 of the Statutes of 2012, is amended to read:
35554. (a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 35550, the gross weight on
any one axle of a bus shall not exceed 20,500 pounds.
(2) A transit bus procured through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation was issued before January 1, 2013,
or through a solicitation process pursuant to subdivision (d) is not
subject to this subdivision.
(b) A transit bus is not subject to Section 35550.
(c) A transit bus shall not operate on the Dwight D. Eisenhower
System of Interstate and Defense Highways in excess of the weight
limitation for transit buses specified in federal law.
(d) (1) A publicly owned or operated transit system or an operator
of a transit system under contract with a publicly owned or operated
transit system shall not procure, through a solicitation process
pursuant to which a solicitation is issued on or after January 1,
2013, a transit bus whose gross weight on any single axle exceeds
20,500 pounds except as follows:
(A) It may procure and operate a new bus whose gross weight
exceeds 20,500 pounds on any single axle that is of the same or
lesser gross weight per axle than the bus it is replacing.
(B) It may procure and operate a new transit bus whose gross
weight exceeds 20,500 pounds on any single axle in order to
incorporate a fleet class expansion or a new fleet class into its
inventory if its governing board adopts a finding at a public hearing
that the fleet class expansion or change in fleet classes is
necessary to address a need to serve a new or existing market
pursuant to its most recently adopted short-range transit plan, or to
meet a federal, state, or regional statutory or regulatory
requirement, and includes a consideration of vehicle needs and fleet
size.
(2) If the governing board of the publicly owned or operated
transit system holds a public hearing to consider a procurement made
pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), the board shall
provide written notice to those cities and counties on whose roads
the bus would travel of the public hearing at which this procurement
is to be considered and shall place in the public record any comment
of concern the board receives about the procurement.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, "fleet class" means a group
of transit buses designated by a publicly owned or operated transit
system or an operator under contract with a publicly owned or
operated transit system that owns those transit buses, if the transit
buses have a combination of two or more of the following similar
defining characteristics:
(A) Length.
(B) Seating capacity.
(C) Number of axles.
(D) Fuel or power system.
(E) Width.
(F) Structure.
(G) Equipment package.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2016, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends
that date.
SEC. 2. Section 35554 of the Vehicle Code, as added by Section 4
of Chapter 771 of the Statutes of 2012, is amended to read:
35554. (a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 35550, the gross weight on
any one axle of a bus shall not exceed 20,500 pounds.
(2) A transit bus procured through a solicitation process pursuant
to which a solicitation was issued before January 1, 2013, is not
subject to this subdivision.
(b) A transit bus is not subject to Section 35550.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
