Enrolled  September 14, 2021
Passed  IN  Senate  September 10, 2021
Passed  IN  Assembly  September 09, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  September 01, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 23, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  April 29, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  March 25, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 570


Introduced by Senator Wieckowski

February 18, 2021


An act to amend Sections 24011.3, 24017, 24408, 24603, 26700, 26706, 26709, 26712, and 27150 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 570, Wieckowski. Vehicles: equipment.
(1) Existing law prescribes specified standards and requirements for the equipment of motor vehicles, including, without limitation, requirements and standards relating to windshields, windshield wipers, windshield defrosters, mirrors, and speedometers.
Existing law authorizes the testing of autonomous vehicles, as specified, with a driver present in the vehicle. Existing law also authorizes limited testing on specified properties of autonomous vehicles that are not equipped in a manner capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle.
This bill would exempt autonomous vehicles, as defined, that are not capable of operation with a human driver or occupant in the vehicle, as specified, from certain standards and requirements for the equipment of motor vehicles and would provide specified alternative standards for those vehicles, provided that those exemptions or alternative standards are consistent with applicable federal laws or regulations.
(2) Existing law requires all motor vehicles subject to registration to be equipped with a muffler, as specified.
This bill would clarify that the requirement only applies to motor vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 24011.3 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24011.3.
 (a) Every manufacturer or importer of new passenger vehicles for sale or lease in this state, shall affix to a window or the windshield of the vehicle a notice with either of the following statements, whichever is appropriate:
(1) “This vehicle is equipped with bumpers that can withstand an impact of 2.5 miles per hour with no damage to the vehicle’s body and safety systems, although the bumper and related components may sustain damage. The bumper system on this vehicle conforms to the current federal bumper standard of 2.5 miles per hour.”
(2) “This vehicle is equipped with a front bumper of a type that has been tested at an impact speed of (here specify the appropriate number) miles per hour, and a rear bumper of a type that has been tested at an impact speed of (here specify the appropriate number) miles per hour, resulting in no damage to the vehicle’s body and safety systems and minimal damage to the bumper and attachment hardware. Minimal damage to the bumper means minor cosmetic damage that can be repaired with the use of common repair materials and without replacing any parts. The stronger the bumper, the less likely the vehicle will require repair after a low-speed collision. This vehicle exceeds the current federal bumper standard of 2.5 miles per hour.”
(b) The impact speed required to be specified in the notice pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) is the maximum speed of impact upon the bumper of the vehicle at which the vehicle sustains no damage to the body and safety systems and only minimal damage to the bumper when subjected to the fixed barrier and pendulum impact tests, and when subjected to the corner impact test at not less than 60 percent of that maximum speed, conducted pursuant to Part 581 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(c) (1) A manufacturer who willfully fails to affix the notice required by subdivision (a), or willfully misstates any information in the notice, is guilty of a misdemeanor, which shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500). Each failure or misstatement is a separate offense.
(2) A person who willfully defaces, alters, or removes the notice required by subdivision (a) prior to the delivery of the vehicle, to which the notice is required to be affixed, to the registered owner or lessee is guilty of a misdemeanor, which shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500). Each willful defacement, alteration, or removal is a separate offense.
(d) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Manufacturer” is any person engaged in the manufacture or assembly of new passenger vehicles for distribution or sale, and includes an importer of new passenger vehicles for distribution or sale and any person who acts for, or is under the control of, a manufacturer in connection with the distribution or sale of new passenger vehicles.
(2) “Passenger vehicle” means, notwithstanding Section 465, a motor vehicle subject to impact testing conducted pursuant to Part 581 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) “No damage” means that, when a passenger vehicle is subjected to impact testing, conducted pursuant to the conditions and test procedures of Sections 581.6 and 581.7 of Part 581 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the vehicle sustains no damage to the body and safety systems.
(4) For purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) and subdivision (b), “minimal damage to the bumper and attachment hardware” means damage that can be repaired with the use of common repair materials and without replacing any parts. In addition, not later than 30 minutes after completion of each pendulum or barrier impact test, the bumper face bar shall have no permanent deviation greater than three-quarters of one inch from its original contour and position relative to the vehicle frame and no permanent deviation greater than three-eighths of one inch from its original contour on areas of contact with the barrier face or impact ridge of the pendulum test device, measured from a straight line connecting the bumper contours adjoining the contact area.
(e) The notice required by this section may be included in any notice or label required by federal law to be affixed to a window or windshield of the vehicle.
(f) The notice required by this section shall, in an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle and not equipped with a windshield or windows, be affixed in the doorjamb, provided that this modification is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 2.

 Section 24017 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24017.
 (a)  A commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 260, operated by a motor carrier, whether the motor carrier is a private company or a public agency shall be equipped with a speedometer that shall be maintained in good working order. The speedometer shall indicate the vehicle’s speed in miles per hour or kilometers (km) per hour and shall be accurate to within plus or minus 5 miles per hour (8 km/hour) at a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/hour).
(b) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 3.

 Section 24408 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24408.
 (a) Every new motor vehicle registered in this state after January 1, 1940, which has multiple-beam road lighting equipment shall be equipped with a beam indicator, which shall be lighted whenever the uppermost distribution of light from the headlamps is in use, and shall not otherwise be lighted.
(b) The indicator shall be so designed and located that when lighted it will be readily visible without glare to the driver of the vehicle so equipped. Any such lamp on the exterior of the vehicle shall have a light source not exceeding two candlepower, and the light shall not show to the front or sides of the vehicle.
(c) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 4.

 Section 24603 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24603.
 Every motor vehicle that is not in combination with any other vehicle and every vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles shall at all times be equipped with stoplamps mounted on the rear as follows:
(a) Each vehicle shall be equipped with one or more stoplamps.
(b) Each vehicle, other than a motorcycle, manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1958, shall be equipped with two stoplamps, except that trailers and semitrailers manufactured after July 23, 1973, which are less than 30 inches wide, may be equipped with one stoplamp which shall be mounted at or near the vertical centerline of the trailer. If such vehicle is equipped with two stoplamps, they shall be mounted as specified in subdivision (d).
(c)  Except as provided in subdivision (h), stoplamps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1969, shall be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than 72 inches, except that a tow truck or a repossessor’s tow vehicle, in addition to being equipped with the required stoplamps, may also be equipped with two stoplamps which may be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than the maximum allowable vehicle height and as far forward as the rearmost portion of the driver’s seat in the rearmost position.
(d) When two stoplamps are required, at least one shall be mounted at the left and one at the right side, respectively, at the same level.
(e) (1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1979, shall emit a red light. Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, shall emit a red or yellow light.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to commercial motor vehicles, as defined in Section 15210 or 34500. Stoplamps on a commercial motor vehicle shall emit red light. A commercial motor vehicle shall not be equipped with an amber stoplamp, amber taillamp, or other amber lamp that is optically combined with a stoplamp or taillamp.
(f) All stoplamps shall be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 300 feet from the rear of the vehicle both during normal sunlight and at nighttime, except that stoplamps on a vehicle of a size required to be equipped with clearance lamps shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet from the rear of the vehicle during those times.
(g) (1) Stoplamps shall be activated upon application of the service (foot) brake and the hand control head for air, vacuum, or electric brakes. In addition, all stoplamps may be activated by a mechanical device designed to function only upon sudden release of the accelerator while the vehicle is in motion. Stoplamps on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission may be manually activated by a mechanical device when the vehicle is downshifted if the device is automatically rendered inoperative while the vehicle is accelerating.
(2) For an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, stoplamps shall be activated upon the remote or autonomous activation of the braking system, provided that this modification is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.
(h) (1) Any vehicle may be equipped with supplemental stoplamps mounted to the rear of the rearmost portion of the driver’s seat in its rearmost position in addition to the lamps required to be mounted on the rear of the vehicle. Supplemental stoplamps installed after January 1, 1979, shall be red in color and mounted not lower than 15 inches above the roadway. The supplemental stoplamp on that side of a vehicle toward which a turn will be made may flash as part of the supplemental turn signal lamp.
(2) A supplemental stoplamp may be mounted inside the rear window of a vehicle, if it is mounted at the centerline of the vehicle and is constructed and mounted so as to prevent any light, other than a monitorial indicator emitted from the device, either direct or reflected, from being visible to the driver.
(i) Any supplemental stoplamp installed after January 1, 1987, shall comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 (49 C.F.R. 571.108). Any vehicle equipped with a stoplamp that complies with the federal motor vehicle safety standards applicable to that make and model vehicle shall conform to that applicable safety standard unless modified to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standard designated in this subdivision.

SEC. 5.

 Section 26700 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

26700.
 (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c), a passenger vehicle, other than a motorcycle, and every bus, motortruck or truck tractor, and every firetruck, fire engine or other fire apparatus, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be equipped with an adequate windshield.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any vehicle issued identification plates pursuant to Section 5004 which was not required to be equipped with a windshield at the time it was first sold or registered under the laws of this state, another state, or foreign jurisdiction.
(c) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation with a human occupant in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 6.

 Section 26706 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

26706.
 (a) Every motor vehicle, except motorcycles, equipped with a windshield shall also be equipped with a self-operating windshield wiper.
(b) Every new motor vehicle first registered after December 31, 1949, except motorcycles, shall be equipped with two windshield wipers, one mounted on the right half and one on the left half of the windshield, except that any motor vehicle may be equipped with a single wiper so long as it meets the wiped area requirements in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Governing Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems.
(c) This section does not apply to snow removal equipment equipped with adequate manually operated windshield wipers.
(d) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 7.

 Section 26709 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

26709.
 (a) (1) Every motor vehicle registered in a foreign jurisdiction and every motorcycle subject to registration in this state shall be equipped with a mirror so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle.
(2) Every motor vehicle subject to registration in this state, except a motorcycle, shall be equipped with not less than two mirrors, including one affixed to the left-hand side.
(b) The following described types of motor vehicles, of a type subject to registration, shall be equipped with mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the vehicle so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle:
(1) A motor vehicle so constructed or loaded as to obstruct the driver’s view to the rear.
(2) A motor vehicle towing a vehicle and the towed vehicle or load thereon obstructs the driver’s view to the rear.
(3) A bus or trolley coach.
(c) The provisions of subdivision (b) shall not apply to a passenger vehicle when the load obstructing the driver’s view consists of passengers.
(d) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 8.

 Section 26712 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

26712.
 (a) Every passenger vehicle used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit shall be equipped with a defrosting device that is adequate to remove snow, ice, frost, fog, or internal moisture from the windshield.
(b) This section does not apply to an autonomous vehicle, as defined in Section 38750, that is not capable of operation by a human driver seated in the vehicle, provided that this exemption is consistent with, or authorized by, any applicable federal law, regulation, or exemption thereto.

SEC. 9.

 Section 27150 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

27150.
 (a) Every motor vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine and subject to registration shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.
(b) Except as provided in Division 16.5 (commencing with Section 38000) with respect to off-highway motor vehicles subject to identification, every passenger vehicle operated off the highways shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained so as to meet the requirements of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 27200), and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.
(c) The provisions of subdivision (b) shall not be applicable to passenger vehicles being operated off the highways in an organized racing or competitive event conducted under the auspices of a recognized sanctioning body or by permit issued by the local governmental authority having jurisdiction, or to vehicles not equipped with an internal combustion engine.