Bill Text: CA AB3135 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Traffic safety: state funding.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2018-09-19 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB3135 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB3135-Enrolled.html
|
Enrolled
September 04, 2018 |
|
Passed
IN
Senate
August 21, 2018 |
|
Passed
IN
Assembly
August 30, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Senate
August 06, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Senate
June 11, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 22, 2018 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 3135 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier |
February 16, 2018 |
An act to add Section 13312 to the Government Code, and to add Section 42272.1 to the Vehicle Code, relating to streets and highways.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 3135, Frazier.
Traffic safety: state funding.
(1) The California Constitution requires the Governor to submit a budget for the ensuing fiscal year to the Legislature within the first 10 days of each regular session. Existing law requires that budget to contain a complete plan and itemized statement of all proposed expenditures of the state provided by existing law or recommended by the Governor, and of all estimated revenues, as specified. Existing law creates the Department of Finance and provides that the department has general powers of supervision over all matters concerning the financial and business policies of the state.
Existing law establishes the Department of the California Highway Patrol to enforce all laws regulating the operation of vehicles and the use of the highways.
This bill would require the annual budget proposed by the Governor, for the 2019–20 fiscal year to the 2023–24 fiscal year, inclusive, to include the level of funding and position authority necessary for the Department of the California Highway Patrol to
add 120 approved officer positions each of those fiscal years.
(2) The California Constitution restricts the expenditure of revenues from taxes imposed by the state on fuels used in motor vehicles upon public streets and highways to street and highway and certain mass transit purposes, and restricts the expenditure of revenues from fees and taxes imposed by the state on vehicles or their use or operation to state administration and enforcement of laws regulating the use, operation, or registration of vehicles used on the public streets and highways, including the enforcement of traffic and vehicle laws by state agencies and the mitigation of the environmental effects of motor vehicle operation due to air and sound emissions, as well as to street and highway and certain mass transit purposes.
Existing law imposes certain registration fees on vehicles, with revenues
from these fees deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account and used, among other things, to fund the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol. Existing law provides for the monthly transfer of excess balances in the Motor Vehicle Account to the State Highway Account.
This bill would establish as a first priority the use of motor vehicle revenues deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account for the state administration and enforcement of laws regulating the use, operation, or registration of vehicles used on the public streets and highways of this state, including the enforcement of traffic and vehicle laws by state agencies.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Since 2010, California’s population has increased 8 percent, while registered vehicles and licensed drivers in the state have increased over 11 percent. Meanwhile, the number of approved officer positions in the Department of the California Highway Patrol enforcing traffic laws on our highways has decreased
7 percent.
(b) In that same time, the number of crashes on the state highway system has increased 29 percent, and the fatality rate per mile driven has increased 27 percent.
(c) Studies show that, in the absence of enforcement, drivers are less likely to follow the law and maintain safe traveling behaviors.
(d) It is clear that the presence of law enforcement on our highways deters unsafe driving. For too long, it has been too easy for reckless drivers to speed, drive while impaired or distracted, or make other unsafe choices.
(e) The Legislature is ultimately responsible for dedicating the necessary state resources to the
administration of programs that ensure the safety and security of all Californians.
(f) Over 80 years ago, California voters approved an initiative amending the California State Constitution to guarantee that the state uses vehicle registration and license fees for either the administration and enforcement of all laws related to the use of public roads or the construction of those roads.
(g) California is making an investment to repair and improve transportation infrastructure statewide. Traffic enforcement is critical to ensure this infrastructure operates efficiently and safely.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature to restore the approved officer positions in the Department of the California Highway Patrol that were lost during the Great Recession of 2008 and then evaluate future staffing needs to align approved officer positions with workload.
