Bill Text: CA AB254 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Emergency vehicles: payment of tolls: exemptions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2009-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 425, Statutes of 2009. [AB254 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB254-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 254	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 13, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Jeffries

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2009

   An act to amend  Section 21055 of   Section
23301 of, and to add Section 23301.5 to,  the Vehicle Code,
relating to vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 254, as amended, Jeffries. Emergency vehicles: payment of tolls
 : exemptions  . 
   Under existing law, a vehicle that enters into or upon a vehicular
crossing immediately becomes liable for tolls and other charges
prescribed by the California Transportation Commission. 
   Under existing law, it is unlawful to refuse to pay, or to evade
or attempt to evade the payment of, tolls or other charges on any
vehicular crossing, as defined, or toll highway. 
   Under existing law, the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle,
as defined, is exempt from specified rules of the road under certain
circumstances, including when the vehicle is being driven in
response to an emergency call or while engaged in rescue operations,
as specified.  
   This bill would exempt those emergency vehicles from the payment
of a toll or charge on a vehicular crossing or toll highway in those
circumstances.  
   This bill would exempt authorized emergency vehicles, as defined,
from payment of a toll or charge on a vehicular crossing or toll
highway and any related fines, under specified conditions, including,
but not limited to, when the vehicle is being driven while
responding to an urgent or emergency call, participating in an urgent
or emergency response, or engaging in a fire station coverage
assignment directly related to an emergency response. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 23301 of the   Vehicle
Code   is amended to read: 
   23301.   Every   Except as provided in
Section 23301.5, each  vehicle  which  
that  enters into or upon  any   a 
vehicular crossing immediately becomes liable for  such
  those  tolls and other charges as may from time
to time be prescribed by the California Transportation Commission.
   SEC. 2.    Section 23301.5 is added to the  
Vehicle Code   , to read: 
   23301.5.  (a) An authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from any
requirement to pay toll(s) or other changes on a vehicular crossing
or toll highway, including the requirements of Section 23301, if all
of the following conditions are satisfied:
   (1) The authorized emergency vehicle is properly displaying an
exempt California license plate, and is properly identified or marked
as an authorized emergency vehicle, including, but not limited to,
displaying an external surface-mounted red warning light, blue
warning light, or both, and displaying public agency identification,
including, but not limited to, "Fire Department," "Sheriff," or
"Police."
   (2) The vehicle is being driven while responding to an urgent or
emergency call, participating in an urgent or emergency response, or
engaging in a fire station coverage assignment directly related to an
emergency response, and the vehicle's red warning light, blue
warning light, or both, are lighted.
   (3) The driver of the vehicle determines that the use of the toll
facility shall likely improve the response and arrival time of the
authorized emergency vehicle and its delivery of essential public
safety services.
   (b) If the operator of a toll facility elects to send a bill or
invoice to the public agency for the use of the toll facility by an
authorized emergency vehicle, exempt pursuant to subdivision (a), the
fire chief, police chief, county sheriff, head of the public agency,
or his or her designee is authorized to certify in writing that the
authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from the payment of the toll
or other charge in accordance with this section. The letter shall be
accepted by the toll operator in lieu of payment and is a public
document.
   (c) This section shall not prohibit a toll operator and a local
emergency service provider from entering into an agreement that meets
or exceeds the conditions of this section.
   (d) Sections 23302 and 23302.5 do not apply to authorized
emergency vehicles exempt pursuant to this section.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 21055 of the Vehicle Code is
amended to read:
   21055.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt
from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21350), Chapter 3 (commencing
with Section 21650), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 21800),
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 21950), Chapter 6 (commencing with
22100), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 22348), Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 22450), Chapter 9 (commencing with Section
22500), Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 22650), and Article 3
(commencing with Section 23300) of Chapter 13 of this division, and
Article 3 (commencing with Section 38305) and Article 4 (commencing
with Section 38312) of Chapter 5 of Division 16.5, under all of the
following conditions:
   (a) If the vehicle is being driven in response to an emergency
call or while engaged in rescue operations or is being used in the
immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or is
responding to, but not returning from, a fire alarm, except that
fire department vehicles are exempt whether directly responding to an
emergency call or operated from one place to another as rendered
desirable or necessary by reason of an emergency call and operated to
the scene of the emergency or operated from one fire station to
another or to some other location by reason of the emergency call.
   (b) If the driver of the vehicle sounds a siren as may be
reasonably necessary and the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp
visible from the front as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians.

   A siren shall not be sounded by an authorized emergency vehicle
except when required under this section.