THE ASSEMBLY. TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE IS CALLED TO ORDER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME,
EVERYONE. THE HEARING ROOM IS
OPEN FOR ATTENDANCE OF THIS
HEARING, AND IT CAN BE WATCHED
FROM A LIVE STREAM ON THE
ASSEMBLY'S WEBSITE. WE ENCOURAGE
THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE WRITTEN
TESTIMONY BY VISITING THE
COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE. PLEASE NOTE
THAT ANY WRITTEN TESTIMONY
SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE IS
CONSIDERED PUBLIC COMMENT, AND
MAY BE READ INTO THE RECORD OR
REPRINTED. WE WILL ALLOW TWO
MINUTES EACH FOR TWO PRIMARY
WITNESSES AND SUPPORT AND
OPPOSITION, AND THESE WITNESSES
MUST TESTIFY IN PERSON IN THE
HEARING ROOM. ADDITIONAL WITNESS
COMMENTS WILL BE LIMITED TO YOUR
NAME, ORGANIZATION AND POSITION.
THÀNH. WITH THAT, WE WILL BEGIN
OUR HEARING. IT LOOKS LIKE WE DO
NOT HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE WILL
START, AS INFORMATIONAL, AND WE
WILL GO TO, LET'S SEE, FILE
ORDER, IT LOOKS LIKE, ITEM
NUMBER ONE, WE WILL NOT BE
HEARING, THIS IS AB 2392 SORIA.
IT WAS PULLED BY REQUEST OF THE
AUTHOR. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON
TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, AB 2697.
IRWIN TO THE AUTHOR AT YOUR
CONVENIENCE.
MICROPHONE. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT AB 2697,
A BILL RELATED TO ELECTRIC
VEHICLE. THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHARGING EXPERIENCE AS AN EV
DRIVER, I'M FRUSTRATED WITH THE
ALL TOO COMMON EXPERIENCE OF
TRYING AND FAILING TO FIND A
FUNCTIONING PUBLIC CHARGER. AS A
LEGISLATOR, I'M FRUSTRATED TO
SEE OUR TAX DOLLARS BEING WASTED
RATHER THAN FUNDING WORKING MORE
ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC CHARGERS. A
RECENT STUDY BY J.D. POWER
SHOWED THAT ONE FIFTH OF
ATTEMPTS TO USE A PUBLIC CHARGER
WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. ACCORDING TO
THE CEC, 41% OF OUR PUBLICLY
FUNDED EV CHARGERS ARE INSTALLED
WITH STATE GRANTS AND TAXPAYER
MONEY. THIS AMOUNTS TO ROUGHLY
40,000 CHARGERS ACROSS THE STATE
. THIS BILL REQUIRES THE STATE
FUNDED CHARGERS THAT WE'VE
INSTALLED PRIOR TO 2024 BE
SUBJECT FIRST SUBJECT TO CÁC
RELIABILITY STANDARDS, WHICH ARE
BEING FINALIZED THIS SUMMER, AND
NUMBER TWO, SUBJECT TO ROAMING
AGREEMENTS SO THAT DIFFERENT
COMPANY CHARGERS CAN TALK TO ONE
ANOTHER AND DRIVERS CAN HAVE
EASY ACCESS TO ALL OF THEM. THE
REQUIREMENTS IN AB 2697 ARE
INTENDED TO BENEFIT CONSUMERS.
SINCE TAXPAYERS FUNDED THIS
INFRASTRUCTURE, CALIF HAS SPENT
NEARLY $1.7 BILLION ON EV
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN AN
ATTEMPT TO MEET OUR CLIMATE
GOALS. WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY,
THESE CHARGERS ARE AT RISK OF
BECOMING STRANDED ASSETS,
NOTHING MORE THAN SCULPTURES IN
A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT
WITHOUT IMPROVING THE DRIVER
EXPERIENCE, WE ARE JEOPARDIZING
OUR CLEAN TRANSPORTATION FUTURE
WITH US TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF
PLUG IN AMERICA IS ALEXIA
MELENDEZ MARTINEAU. HELLO? CAN
YOU HEAR ME? HELLO. MY NAME IS
ALEXIA MELENDEZ MARTINEAU AND I
REPRESENT PLUG IN AMERICA. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY,
PLUG IN AMERICA IS A NATIONAL
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED
HERE IN CALIFORNIA, FOUNDED BY
EV DRIVERS. WE WORK TO
ACCELERATE THE TRANSITION TO
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CHARGING.
WE REPRESENT A NETWORK OF EV
DRIVERS ACROSS THE US AND
LEVERAGE THEIR REAL WORLD
INSIGHTS TO DRIVE THE MARKET
FORWARD AND CREATE A BEST IN
CLASS USER EXPERIENCE. WE'RE
HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT AB 2697,
WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE EV
CHARGING EXPERIENCE FOR DRIVERS.
WE CONDUCT AN ANNUAL EV DRIVER
SURVEY AND BASED ON RESULTS FROM
PLUG IN AMERICA'S 2023 SURVEY,
PUBLIC, PUBLIC EV CHARGING IS
CURRENTLY UNRELIABLE AND HAS
LEFT CONSUMERS WANTING MORE. THE
EARLY INSIGHTS FROM OUR
CALIFORNIA RESULTS FROM THIS
YEAR'S ANNUAL SURVEY ALSO
CONFIRM THAT CHARGING,
AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY
REMAIN TOP OF MIND FOR EV
DRIVERS. ACCESS TO CHARGING IS
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CONSIDERING,
TRANSITIONING TO AN ELECTRIC
VEHICLE. CURRENTLY AS AN EV
DRIVER, WHICH I AM MYSELF, THERE
IS A REALLY HIGH EXPECTATION OF
YOUR ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO
ADAPT TO THE EV CHARGING
ECOSYSTEM. THIS CAN OFTEN MEAN
HAVING TO SPEND SEVERAL MINUTES
EACH TIME YOU CHARGE ON A NEW
NETWORK, DOWNLOADING AN APP, AND
SETTING UP AN ACCOUNT ON THAT
APP TO CHARGE. AND THAT'S
ASSUMING THE PROCESS WORKS
RELIABLY, ESPECIALLY AS
CALIFORNIA EMBARKS ON MASS
MARKET ADOPTION OF EVS. WE MUST
MAKE THE EV CHARGING EXPERIENCE
MORE USER FRIENDLY AND REDUCE
BARRIERS TO CLEAN
TRANSPORTATION. ROAMING
AGREEMENTS HELP SIMPLIFY THE
CHARGING EXPERIENCE FOR
CONSUMERS BY ALLOWING THEM TO
USE THEIR FAVORITE APP FOR OTHER
CHARGING NETWORKS. THIS EMPOWERS
DRIVERS TO CHOOSE THEIR
PREFERRED PLATFORM AND CREATES
COMPETITION AMONGST COMPANIES TO
PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE USER
EXPERIENCE. THROUGH PURSUING
ROAMING AGREEMENTS FOR EV
CHARGING, AB 2697 CAN HELP MAKE
THE PUBLIC CHARGING EXPERIENCE
SEAMLESS FOR EV DRIVERS.
ADDITIONALLY, AS A AS CALIFORNIA
PURSUES A CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
FUTURE TO MEET ITS AMBITIOUS
CLIMATE GOALS, WE MUST
ACCURATELY UNDERSTAND THE
CURRENT AND FUTURE EV CHARGING
LANDSCAPE SETTING, UPTIME,
RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING
STANDARDS FOR 2024
INFRASTRUCTURE WILL COMPLEMENT
THE REQUIREMENTS THE CEC IS
CURRENTLY DEVELOPING FOR POST
2024 INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU
SO MUCH AGAIN FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU
TODAY IN SUPPORT OF AB 2697.
THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF
PAUSE TO ESTABLISH THE QUORUM.
SECRETARY, COULD YOU CALL THE
ROLL WILSON HERE. WILSON HERE.
FONG AGUIAR-CURRY. OH, I'M
SORRY. DAVIES. SORRY
AGUIAR-CURRY PRESENT. BERMAN.
CARILLO CARILLO HERE. HOOVER.
HART HART. HERE. JACKSON.
LOWENTHAL LOWENTHAL. HERE.
PAPPIN HAPPEN HERE. SANCHEZ.
TING TING. HERE. WALLACE
WALLACE. HERE. WARD. WICKS.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE
TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY, THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE
ME TWO COMMENTS. THAT'S NAME,
ORGANIZATION AND POSITION. JULIE
MALINOWSKI, ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC
TRANSPORTATION COALITION, WE
HAVE A SUPPORTIVE, AMENDED
POSITION. WE JUST WANT TO SEE
THE RETROACTIVE PROVISIONS STILL
WORKED ON. WE JUST THINK IT
NEEDS MORE WORK. THANK YOU. HI,
I'M MICHELLE KANELLIS ON BEHALF
OF UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
AND SUPPORT. OKAY. NOW WE'LL
MOVE ON TO ANY, TESTIMONY IN
OPPOSITION
.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. REED ADDIS, ON BEHALF
OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
ASSOCIATION. IN OPPOSITION TODAY
. BUT I DO HAVE SOME
CLARIFICATIONS TO THAT
OPPOSITION BASED ON THE WORK THE
ASSEMBLY MEMBER'S OFFICE AND THE
COMMITTEE HAVE DONE OVER THE
LAST WEEK, WE, ARE OPPOSED
ORIGINAL OPPOSE LETTER WAS VERY
SPECIFIC TO THE RETROACTIVITY
ELEMENT OF THE BILL, AND WE WERE
NEUTRAL ON THE ROAMING PROVISION
AND CONTINUE TO BE NEUTRAL ON
THE ROAMING PROVISION OR AT
LEAST SILENT. LET ME PUT IT THAT
WAY. AS IT RELATES TO OUR
OPPOSED POSITION, WE WORKED AS
DILIGENTLY AS WE COULD TO UPDATE
THAT OPPOSE LETTER. IT'S STILL
OPPOSED, BUT IT IS SIGNALING OUR
GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE
AUTHOR AND HER STAFF AND THE
COMMITTEE, AND RECOGNIZING SOME
OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN TRYING TO
TAKE A CURRENT STATE OF ART AND
THE REGULATIONS THAT THE CDC ARE
WORKING ON TODAY AND TRYING TO
APPLY THAT RETROACTIVELY TO OLD
STATE OF ART, WHERE YOU JUST
CAN'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF
TECHNICAL, AND COMMUNICATION AND
STANDARDS APPLIED. WE LIKE THIS
NEW APPROACH. WE APPRECIATE THE
EFFORT TO LOOK AT THE CEC. WE
JUST COULD NOT BE IN A PLACE AS
AN ASSOCIATION ACROSS 20 SOME
MEMBERS TO DELVE INTO EACH AND
EVERY WORD IN THE AMENDMENT. WE
HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME
ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WE HOPE
TO COME BACK WITH MAYBE A
DIFFERENT POSITION, BUT WE DID
UPDATE OUR OPPOSED LETTER.
UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE DID IT
IN REAL TIME AS I WALKED UP HERE
TODAY. SO SORRY FOR THAT LATE
UPDATE, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT'S A
SIGNAL OF OUR APPRECIATION, THE
DIRECTION OF THE BILL. THANK YOU
, THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY, ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS
OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADD ON
IN OPPOSITION THÀNH NAME,
POSITION, OR AN ORGANIZATION?
SEEING NONE, MOVING IT TO
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE? IF
THERE IS ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERN
OR DISCUSSION NEEDED TO BE HAD.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER CARILLO. AND
THEN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I
JUST WANT TO THANK THE AUTHOR
FOR BRINGING THIS MEASURE IN
FRONT OF US AND FOR CONTINUING
TO BE A CHAMPION IN THIS ISSUE.
I KNOW THAT IT'S FRUSTRATING. I
MYSELF HAVE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
MYSELF. IT'S A HYBRID,
NEVERTHELESS, SOMETIMES CAN BE
CHALLENGING TO GET TO A WORKING
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
STATION. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING
THAT, AND IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER
ME BEING A COAUTHOR OF YOUR
BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER CARILLO. TING
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M ALSO
A PROUD TO BE A JOINT AUTHOR OF
THIS BILL. I THINK THIS BILL IS
A COMMON SENSE PROPOSAL, VERY
KEY THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR
ELECTRIC CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
WORKS. AND I THINK THIS BILL
TRIES TO STRIKE A BALANCE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
RELIABILITY, THAT THERE IS
ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT THERE ARE
SOME REGULATIONS WE'RE INVESTING
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO EV
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE HERE.
AND GIVEN THE CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE SO FAR, WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S
RELIABILITY IN THAT. WHEN
CUSTOMERS CAN GO UP AND GET THAT
CHARGING DONE, IT'S VERY, VERY
CRITICAL THAT IT WORKS. AND SO
AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE THE
BILL AND THANK THE AUTHOR FOR
ALL HER HARD WORK. WELL, THANK
YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BILL
FORWARD. TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF
RELIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE EV
CHARGERS. I APPRECIATE YOU
WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE AND
STAKEHOLDERS TO FIND A PRACTICAL
MIDDLE GROUND. THIS BILL MAKES
SURE THAT EV CHARGERS WORK AS
BEST AS POSSIBLE AND WORKS FOR
EVERYONE. A BETTER EV CHARGING
EXPERIENCE IS CRITICAL TO
INCREASE EV ADOPTION AND TO
ACHIEVE OUR CLIMATE GOALS. WITH
THAT, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS
BILL TODAY. WE HAD A FIRST BY
AGUIAR-CURRY A SECOND IT WAS
TIED BUT CALLED IT TO WALLACE.
AND WITH THAT, GIVE YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE BEFORE THE
SECRETARY CALLS THE ROLL. JUST
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY
WILSON, I WILSON, I DAVIES.
DAVIES. NOT VOTING AGUIAR-CURRY
AGUIAR-CURRY I BERMAN. CARILLO
CARILLO I HEART ART I HOOVER
JACKSON LOWENTHAL. LOWENTHAL I
PAPPIN HAPPEN I SANCHEZ KING
SINGH I WALLACE WALLACE I WARD
WICKS. ALL RIGHT. THE BILL IS A
BUT WE'LL FINISH, WE'LL LEAVE
THE ROLL OPEN FOR, MEMBERS TO
ADD ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL
RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO
MOVE TO CONSENT BEFORE WE
CONSIDER ANY OTHER BILLS. FIRST
AND SECOND. BUT HOLD ON ONE
SECOND AND WE'LL ALSO ASK IF WE
GET A CALL FOR IT. LOOKS LIKE WE
NEED AUTHORS. SO IF YES, WE'LL
WE'LL SWITCH OVER. YES WE'LL
SWITCH OVER TO MEMBERS, SITTING
FIRST. OKAY. I WHO WHO DID THE
IS IT EDGAR CURRY AND TÍNH.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO LET ME READ
THE BILLS ON CONSENT AND THEN
WE'LL DO THE VOTE. SO WE HAVE
FILE ITEM TWO AB 2900 SORIA.
ITEM FOUR AB 2698 TO ITEM FIVE
AB 2760 MURATSUCHI. ITEM SIX AB
20 807. BILL VALLAPUDUA. ITEM
NINE AB 38 FIVE GIBSON. ITEM 14
ACR 121 GALLAGHER. ITEM 15 ACR
124 PELLERIN. ITEM 16 ACR 126
JOE PATTERSON. ITEM 17 ACR 158
CHEN WE HAVE A MOTION AND A
SECOND AGUIAR-CURRY TÍNH. MADAM
SECRETARY, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL? WILSON I WILSON. AYE.
DAVIES. DAVIES. AYE.
AGUIAR-CURRY AGUIAR-CURRY I
BERMAN. CARILLO CARILLO I HEART
ART I HOOVER. JACKSON.
LOWENTHAL. LOWENTHAL. I PAPPIN
PAPPIN I SANCHEZ. KING SINGH I
WALLACE WALLACE I WARD. WICKS
ALL RIGHT. GOING IN. FILE ORDER,
WE'LL JUMP TO ITEM NUMBER 11 AB
2286 AGUIAR-CURRY.
HELLO AUTHOR. AT YOUR
CONVENIENCE. GREAT. THANK YOU.
MADAM CHAIR. MEMBERS. THE GOAL
OF THIS BILL IS SIMPLE. FULL
TESTING AND FULL DEPLOYMENT OF
AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE. OVER
10,000 POUNDS CAN BE PERMITTED
BY THE DMV TO OPERATE ON PUBLIC
ROADS IN CALIFORNIA. WHILE WE
AWAIT THE ANALYSIS OF SAFETY
DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE
LEGISLATURE BY THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH, THAT VEHICLE MUST BE
ACCOMPANIED BY A QUALIFIED HUMAN
SAFETY OPERATOR. THERE IS
NOTHING ABOUT A HUMAN SAFETY
OPERATOR THAT PREVENTS THE
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING INDUSTRY
FROM TESTING AND DEPLOYING
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ANYWHERE IN
CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY CONCEIVABLE
MOTIVATION FOR RUSHING FORWARD
WITHOUT A MONITOR IN THE CAB IS
TO INCREASE PROFITS. AT THE RISK
OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE
LIVELIHOODS OF OUR TRAINED
EXPERT TRUCKING WORKFORCE FORCE.
THE ROLLOUT OF A LIGHT DUTY
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE IN SAN
FRANCISCO IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE
OF WHY THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD BE
INVOLVED IN THE FINAL DECISION
MAKING ON PERSONLESS 80 ZERO
ZERO 0 POUND TRUCKS, HUNDREDS OF
INCIDENTS WITH DRIVERLESS
AUTONOMOUS CARS HAVE PROMPTED
CITY PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS AND
ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PLEAD WITH
THE CPUC TO REIN IN THE
DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS DRIVERLESS
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. THERE IS
EXPERIENCE AND REVIEW OF THE
DATA DO NOT CONCLUDE THIS
DEPLOYMENT HAS BEEN SAFE. IN
THESE INCIDENTS. DRIVERLESS
VEHICLES STOPPED SUDDENLY,
IMPEDING TRAFFIC AND CAUSING
ACCIDENTS. IN OTHERS, THEY HAVE
BLOCKED EMERGENCY VEHICLES,
INCLUDING PREVENTING POLICE FROM
RESPONDING TO A MASS SHOOTING.
THE VEHICLES HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH
EMERGENCY SCENES AND INTO DOWNED
WIRES. ONE EVEN DROVE AWAY FROM
POLICE OFFICERS DURING A VEHICLE
STOP. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A
HORRIFIC ACCIDENT WHERE A
PEDESTRIAN WAS DRAGGED BY
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND TRAPPED
UNDER IT. THE COMPANY RESPONDED.
BEALL DID NOT DISCLOSE FULL
FOOTAGE TO THE DMV INITIALLY.
MEANWHILE, MEANWHILE, THE
COMPANY IS DEPLOYING THE
TECHNOLOGY, ARE PULLING OUT ALL
THE STOPS, LOBBYING FOR
EXPANSION OVER THE PASSIONATE
OBJECTION OF LOCAL OFFICIALS.
LET ME BE CLEAR THAT I BELIEVE
THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS GREAT
POTENTIAL, WHICH IS WHY THE BILL
AFFIRMATIVELY RECOGNIZES WE
SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH TESTING
AND DEPLOYMENT OF THESE VEHICLES
. BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO
REASON TO BELIEVE THE SAN
FRANCISCO EXPERIENCE WON'T BE
REPEATED IN TESTING DRIVERLESS
TRUCKS. UNLIKE SAN FRANCISCO
TAXIS, THESE VEHICLES WEIGH AN
EXTRA 76,000 POUNDS DRIVE AT
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SPEEDS AND
PRESENT AN EXPANSION A GREATER
THREAT TO THE PUBLIC. WE NEED
THE DATA COLLECTION AND
REPORTING IN AB 286 TO GET A
REAL SENSE OF THE BROADER
IMPACTS OF AB TRUCKING
TECHNOLOGY. ALL THIS BILL DOES
IS INCLUDE THE LEGISLATION
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT IN A MORE
TRANSPARENT PROCESS. AS THE
FINAL DECISION IS MADE TO REMOVE
HUMANS FROM THE TRUCKING AND
TRUCKING IN OUR STATE, WE
REMEMBER WE ANSWER TO OUR
CONSTITUENTS AS IT AFFIRMATIVELY
LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR
COMPANIES TO TEST AND DEPLOY
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS AND IT
CONTAINS A STATUTORY TRIGGER FOR
LEGISLATIVE CONSIDERATION OF
FINAL APPROVAL OF DRIVERLESS
OPERATION BASED ON REAL DATA
ANALYZED BY THE SAFETY EXPERTS
IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. THEY
THEN WILL APPEAR IN A HEARING TO
MAKE SURE TO MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ELECTED
LEGISLATORS AT THAT TIME. WITH
ME TODAY TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT
ARE MIKE FRYE, REPRESENTING
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 2785 AND, YVONNE
FERNANDEZ, REPRESENTING THE
CALIFORNIA LABOR FEDERATION. AND
I'VE ALSO INCLUDED MATT BROAD
CAN BE HERE FOR TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE ON
BEHALF OF THE TEAMSTERS. THANK
YOU. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
, MY NAME IS MICHAEL FRY. I'M A
PROUD 28 YEAR MEMBER OF 27, 85
SAN FRANCISCO TEAMSTERS, I'M
HERE TODAY BECAUSE I STRONGLY
BELIEVE THAT AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS,
OVER 10,000 POUNDS IS A
RIDICULOUS CONCEPT TO ME, I'M A
PROPERLY TRAINED DRIVER. I
CANNOT IMAGINE 80,000 POUNDS OF
WHAT I DRIVE A DAY ROLLING DOWN
THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT A DRIVER
LIKE MYSELF BEHIND THE WHEEL, IT
FRIGHTENS ME, SMALL, AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES HAVE ALREADY WREAKED
HAVOC IN THE STREETS OF SAN
FRANCISCO AND CAUSED A LOT OF
PROBLEMS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
TRUCK. THAT'S TEN TIMES THE
AMOUNT AND WEIGHT OF THESE
SMALLER VEHICLES. AND, WITHOUT A
PROPERLY TRAINED DRIVER, IT'S.
IT SEEMS CHAOTIC TO ME. AS A
TRAINED TRUCK DRIVER, WE DON'T
JUST GO FROM A TO B, WE ARE
STEWARDS OF THE HIGHWAYS.
OFTENTIMES WE ARE THE FIRST
RESPONDERS. WE'RE THERE. WE'RE
THE GUYS THAT CALL THE EMTS THE
MEDEVAC, ALL OF THAT, WE'RE
SOMETIMES ADMINISTERING TRIAGE.
BY THE TIME THEY GET THERE, IN
MY OPINION, THERE'S NO WAY AN
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE WITHOUT A
DRIVER IN IT IS GOING TO BE ABLE
TO HELP IN A SITUATION LIKE
THAT. DURING MY DRIVING
EXPERIENCE A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO, I WAS ON 101 IN THE BAY
AREA, GOING SOUTHBOUND. A YOUNG
COUPLE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER CAR
FROM BEHIND, AND, THEY LOST
CONTROL AND END UP LODGED UNDER
MY 53 FOOT TRAILER. I KNEW THERE
WAS NO WAY TO STOP SAFELY. WHERE
WE WERE AT, SO I SLOWLY MERGED
AND CONTACTED ANOTHER TRUCK
DRIVER WITH MY HORN THAT THEN
SAW THE CAR LODGED. HE BLOCKED
TRAFFIC FOR ME SO I COULD GET TO
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN
THEN USE THE BUSHES ON THE SIDE
OF THE HIGHWAY TO POP THEIR CAR
OUT FROM UNDER MY TRAILER TO
DISLODGE IT. I THEN PULLED THE
TRAILER BACK OUT INTO TRAFFIC A
LITTLE BIT SO I COULD BLOCK
ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I THEN GOT OUT
OF THE TRUCK, RAN BACK,
DISLODGED THE COUPLE FROM THE
MANGLED CAR AND CALLED EMERGENCY
SERVICES, WHEN EMERGENCY
SERVICES GOT THERE, THEY
ACCREDITED ME TO SAVING THEIR
LIVES AND THEY ASKED ME WHAT,
YOU KNOW, HOW DID YOU THINK TO
DO THAT? I TOLD THEM IT WAS JUST
INSTINCT. YOU CAN'T PROGRAM
THESE THINGS TO HAVE INSTINCT.
IT'S COMMON SENSE AND INSTINCT
IN DRIVERS LIKE MYSELF THAT ARE
OUT THERE EVERY DAY. THAT SAVES
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, RIGHT NOW,
THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THESE
VEHICLES, EVEN THE TRUCKS THAT
I'M DRIVING, SOME OF THE NEW
TECHNOLOGY IS TROUBLESOME,
THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING NEW SAFETY
FEATURES THAT WE DON'T QUITE
AGREE WITH. SOME OF THE GUYS. I
WAS SO CAPTIVATED BY YOUR STORY
THAT, WE WENT OVER TIME. SO
SORRY, WE'LL HAVE TO GO TO THE
NEXT WITNESS. MY APOLOGIES FOR
NOT GIVING YOU TIME TO CLOSE.
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BILL. THANK
YOU. NEXT WITNESS. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE, YVONNE FERNANDEZ WITH
THE CALIFORNIA LABOR FEDERATION,
A PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF AB 2086, A
BILL THAT WILL PROTECT JOBS AND
PUBLIC SAFETY BY REQUIRING A
HUMAN SAFETY OPERATOR TO BE IN
ANY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE WEIGHING
OVER 10,000 POUNDS, THE
INTRODUCTION OF DRIVERLESS
VEHICLES WITHOUT WORKER CENTERED
GUARDRAILS POSES IMMEDIATE
THREATS TO THE SAFETY AND THE
LIVELIHOOD OF MILLIONS OF
CALIFORNIANS, AS WE'VE SEEN
THROUGH THE DEPLOYMENT OF ROBO
TAXIS, DRIVERLESS SEDANS HAVE
ALREADY CAUSED A WIDE RANGE OF
SAFETY INCIDENTS. THESE
INCIDENTS HAVE INCLUDED CAUSING
COLLISIONS DUE TO HARD STOPS AND
INTERFERING WITH FIREFIGHTERS
AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS BY
RUNNING THROUGH YELLOW EMERGENCY
TAPE AND BLOCKING FIRE STATION
AND DRIVEWAYS. FIRE STATION
DRIVEWAYS JUST THIS YEAR, THE
DMV HAD TO INVESTIGATE THE
ALLEGATIONS THAT A DRIVERLESS
SEDAN NEARLY HIT A SEVEN YEAR
OLD BOY AFTER THAT SEDAN FAILED
TO YIELD TO HIS FAMILY CROSSING
THE STREET. THESE ARE JUST A FEW
OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE DANGERS
CAUSED BY ROBO TAXIS. THE RISK
POSED BY HEAVY DUTY AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES WOULD BE EVEN WORSE.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY A DANGER TO
OUR SAFETY WITHOUT WORKER
CENTERED GUARDRAILS, HEAVY DUTY
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES HAVE THE
POTENTIAL OF DISPLACING MILLIONS
OF DRIVERS, THESE, MILLIONS OF
DRIVERS, THESE UNION JOBS HAVE
PROVIDED WORKERS WITHOUT COLLEGE
DEGREES WITH A PATH TO THE
MIDDLE CLASS UNION DRIVERS ARE
ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES
BY EARNING A STABLE INCOME.
HEALTH COVERAGE AND RETIREMENT
SECURITY, ESSENTIALLY OPERATING
AS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, TRUCK
DRIVERS OFTEN INVEST TREMENDOUS
AMOUNTS OF TIME AND MONEY TO
LAUNCH AND MAINTAIN THEIR
OPERATIONS. THE ADVANCEMENT OF
AV TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT LEAD TO
THE FULL ELIMINATION OF THEIR
LIVELIHOODS. AB 2286 WILL
PROTECT WORKERS, THE PUBLIC AND
THE ECONOMY BY REQUIRING A HUMAN
SAFETY OPERATOR IN AUTONOMOUS,
MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES.
AB 2286 ALLOWS FOR THE TESTING
AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
AUTONOMOUS HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES
ON PUBLIC ROADS, BUT PUTS
APPROPRIATE GUARDRAILS FOR
SAFETY AND SECURITY. CALIFORNIA
CANNOT AFFORD FOR TECHNOLOGY TO
BE JUST A COST CUTTING STRATEGY
BORNE ON THE BACKS OF WORKERS.
AB 2286 STRIKES THE NECESSARY
BALANCE NEEDED BETWEEN THE
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT AND
THE PUBLIC GOOD. AND FOR THESE
REASONS, WE RESPECTFULLY URGE
YOUR AYE VOTE AT THE APPROPRIATE
TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOW,
MOVING TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY FOR
ME TO NAME, POSITION AND
ORGANIZATION, PLEASE, MADAM
CHAIR AND MEMBERS, MATT BROD
HERE, AS A PROUD CO-SPONSOR ON
BEHALF OF THE TEAMSTERS AND THE
AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION AND IN
STRONG SUPPORT FOR CSEA. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR
AND MEMBERS, BRIAN MIRAMONTEZ
WITH AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
STATE COUNTY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
IN SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS LOUIE
COSTA WITH SMART TRANSPORTATION
DIVISION, STATE LEGISLATIVE
BOARD IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, BRIAN SNOW,
BROTHERHOOD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS
AND TRAINMEN IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, JAMES SANDOVAL,
INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT FOR
SMART TRANSPORTATION DIVISION
AND STRONG SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
HELLO, MONICA SANDOVAL, MY
HUSBAND IS A BUS OPERATOR AND SO
ARE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND
FAMILY. AND I SUPPORT THIS BILL.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
LEANNE FROM TEAMSTERS LOCAL 439.
I SUPPORT THE BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON, APOLLO WALLACE,
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 2785. WE SUPPORT
THE BILL. THANKS HI, FLORENCIA.
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 665 IN SAN
FRANCISCO IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL
. HELLO, JOE. MATACAO TEAMSTERS
LOCAL 665. STRONGLY SUPPORT THE
BILL. NATHANIEL ABREGO, BUS
OPERATOR IN SANTA CRUZ. I
SUPPORT THE BILL. MARK MALOOF,
BUSINESS AGENT WITH TEAMSTERS
LOCAL 665. IN STRONG SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. MADAM CHAIR AND
MEMBERS CORY HOLMAN WITH
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 856. IN SUPPORT
OF THIS BILL. CHRIS GARLICK,
SECRETARY TREASURER, LOCAL 431
OUT OF FRESNO, STRONGLY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. QUENTIN BOOKER, LOCAL
350, IN SAN FRANCISCO. I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
RENEE WILSON, TEAMSTERS LOCAL
431. AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS
BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. SYLVIA
SOLIS SHAH HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THE
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, SEAN KATZ. I'M A
CAMPUS SAFETY FACILITATOR WITH
NEWPORT MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M ALSO THE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
REPRESENTATIVE FOR CSEA, AND I
SUPPORT THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARIO
BOJORQUEZ. I'M A TRANSPORTATION
ASSISTANT WITH THE VISTA UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALSO A
MEMBER OF CSEA'S LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE. I SUPPORT THIS BILL.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
VERONICA PENA. I'M A CHILD
DEVELOPMENT TEACHER WITH DEL
MONTE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALSO
PART OF THE CSEA POLITICAL
ACTION COMMITTEE, AND I SUPPORT
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON,
GLORIA HUERTA. I'M SHORT, I'M A
CUSTODIAN BUS DRIVER FOR
CUTLER-OROSI UNIFIED AND ALSO A
CSEA PACE COMMITTEE, AND I
SUPPORT THIS BILL. HECTOR MUNOZ
I AM A TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
SUPPORT TECHNICIAN FOR THE YUBA
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION. I AM
ALSO ON THE CSEA LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE AND I SUPPORT THIS
BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M STAR
AVILA. I WORK FOR THE JURUPA
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I'M
PART OF THE PACE COMMITTEE FOR
CSEA AND I SUPPORT THIS BILL.
I'M RICHARD ALVAREZ WITH PARIS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A
HEALTH TECHNICIAN, AND I'M ON
THE CSEA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
AS WELL. AND I'M STRONGLY IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HELLO. MY
NAME IS VALERIE VARGAS. I AM
ALSO WITH THE PACE COMMITTEE
WITH CSEA. I AM A FINANCE CLERK
OVER AT THE ESCONDIDO UNION HIGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I SUPPORT
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS DAVID KHN. I'M A
RETIRED TECHNOLOGY TECHNICIAN
FROM THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE
OF EDUCATION. I'M ALSO A MEMBER
OF THE CSAS POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEE. I STRONGLY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. HELLO, I'M BRITTANY
CLARK, I'M A HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
MEDIA CLERK AT ORESTIMBA HIGH IN
NEWMAN, CALIFORNIA. I'M ALSO A
MEMBER OF CSAS LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE, AND I SUPPORT THIS
BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
EDITH WILLIAMS AND I'M A SCHOOL
STAFF TO SECRETARY FOR KERN HIGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND I STRONGLY
SUPPORT THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MEB
STEINER. I AM A SPECIAL
EDUCATION PARAEDUCATOR IN PALO
ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. I
AM ALSO ON THE CSEA LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY
NAME IS BRAD FREELAND. I AM A
SCHOOL CUSTODIAN WITH WINDSOR
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M
ALSO A RETIRED TRUCK DRIVER OF
25 YEARS, AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. HELLO, MY NAME IS
STEVE LOPEZ. I AM A ELECTRONICS
TECHNICIAN AT GARVEY SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M ALSO THE
CHAIRPERSON FOR THE LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE FOR CSCA, AND I'M
STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL
. I'M REGINALD ROBINSON, ROLAND
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DRIVER
TRAINER AND ALSO A MEMBER OF
CSCA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND
I SUPPORT THIS BILL. MY NAME IS
CHERYL MCDONALD. I AM A MEMBER
OF CSEA BURBANK CHAPTER 674,
WHERE I AM A PART OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND I AM
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HI, I'M
KATIE MCDONALD. I AM FROM
BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AS A PARAEDUCATOR FOR SPECIAL ED
AND ALSO PART OF THE POLITICAL
ACTION COMMITTEE FOR CCSA AND I
IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. CHAIR
SUZUKI OF TEAMSTERS JOINT
COUNCIL SEVEN IN STRONG SUPPORT
OF THIS BILL. CASACORNELIA
SENIOR LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE
REPRESENTATIVE, HEADQUARTERS OF
THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
TEAMSTERS. IN STRONG SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. TROY
HALL. I'M A PARAEDUCATOR WITH
THE NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF
PARTICIPANT WITH THE PACE
COMMITTEE AND STRONGLY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS LUIS DIAZ, SECRETARY,
TREASURER AND PRINCIPAL OFFICER
OF TEAMSTERS LOCAL 948 FROM
VISALIA AND MODESTO WITH OVER
5500 MEMBERS. AND WE STRONGLY
SUPPORT THIS BILL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL MOVE TO
WITNESSES AND OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL. A TOTAL OF FIVE MINUTES
WERE GIVEN INADVERTENTLY TO THE
SUPPORTER OF THE BILL. SO YOU
HAVE A TOTAL OF FIVE MINUTES
BETWEEN YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE, JULIAN KENNEDY,
PRESIDENT, CEO OF THE CALIFORNIA
HISPANIC CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.
AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR
OVER 125 HISPANIC AND DIVERSE
CHAMBERS AND BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS,
REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF
NOT ONLY HISPANIC BUSINESS, BUT
CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE AND SMALL
BUSINESSES. AT THIS TIME, WE
REGRETFULLY, RESPECTFULLY, AND
REGRETFULLY OPPOSE AB 2286, THE
BILL WOULD BLOCK CALIFORNIANS
FROM ACCESSING THE BENEFITS OF
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY,
FURTHER SETTING SETTING THE
STATE BACK IN. THIS CRITICAL
INNOVATION IN THIS CRITICAL
INNOVATION, AND HURT DIVERSE
SMALL BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS.
WE BELIEVE THAT AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES WILL BOOST OUR SUPPLY
CHAIN EFFICIENCY, CREATE NEW
HIGH QUALITY CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CALIFORNIA
WORKERS, AND HELP SMALL
BUSINESSES KEEP CALIFORNIA'S
ECONOMY MOVING. FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DATA SHOWS OUR
COUNTRY MUST MOVE 50% MORE
FREIGHT IN 20 BY 2050.
CALIFORNIANS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE
SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS AT CURRENT
FREIGHT LEVELS, AS CONSUMERS AND
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE FEEL
THE PINCH WITH WITH EMPTY STORE
SHELVES AND SOARING PRICES IN
OUR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY,
PARTICULARLY IN LOWER INCOME AND
DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, BY ADDING
MUCH NEEDED CAPACITY TO OUR
GOODS, MOVEMENT SYSTEM IN
CALIFORNIA, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS WILL HELP EASE
THE STRAIN ON OUR SUPPLY CHAINS
AND MAKE GOODS MORE READILY
ACCESSIBLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
AND CONSUMERS. MOREOVER,
AUTONOMOUS LONG HAUL, LONG HAUL
TRUCKING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BROADLY BENEFIT THE ECONOMY BY
IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF
COUNTLESS INDUSTRIES THAT RELY
ON MOVING GOODS VIA TRUCKS SUCH
AS AGRICULTURE, RETAIL AND
MANUFACTURING, ACCORDING TO A
STUDY FUNDED BY THE US
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND
FHA. FHA, AUTOMATING LONG HAUL
TRUCKING WILL SPUR $111 BILLION
IN AGGREGATE INVESTMENT SPENDING
ACROSS THE US ECONOMY AND WILL
INCREASE TOTAL US EMPLOYMENT BY
26,400 TO 34,000 35,100 JOBS PER
YEAR ON AVERAGE. IN CALIFORNIA.
SPECIFICALLY, A STUDY FOUND THAT
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY
CAN ADD 6.5 BILLION TO ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY IN TO THE STATE WHILE
BRINGING GREATER EFFICIENCY TO
OUR SUPPLY CHAIN, SPURRING WAGE
GAINS AND JOB GROWTH. THIS
CRITICAL, CERTAINTY FOR
BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS, BUT
ALSO VITAL FOR THE STATE AS YOU
AS WE CONFRONT A $32 BILLION
DEFICIT THIS YEAR BY TREATING
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AS AN ASSET
INSTEAD OF SHUTTING THE
TECHNOLOGY DOWN THROUGH THIS
BILL, WE BELIEVE CALIFORNIA, ITS
BUSINESSES, ITS CONSUMERS AND
ITS WORKERS HAVE AN INCREDIBLE
AMOUNT TO GAIN. FOR THESE
REASONS, WE RESPECTFULLY URGE A
NO VOTE ON AB 2286. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR WILSON. HOW
MUCH TIME IS REMAINING? JUST 215
THANK YOU, CHAIR WILSON. MY NAME
IS ARIEL WOLF, AND I'M HERE ON
BEHALF OF THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, ALONGSIDE
DOZENS OF GROUPS THAT REPRESENT
THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIA
BUSINESSES AND MILLIONS OF YOUR
CONSTITUENTS TO TESTIFY IN
STRONG OPPOSITION TO AB 286. LET
ME ADDRESS THE QUOTE. AVS ARE
NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME SLOGAN
THAT'S BEEN RAISED HERE AND
BEFORE, LET ME JUST GIVE SOME
PICTURE HERE. THE PRIME TIME
WE'RE SEEING TODAY WITH HUMAN
DRIVERS JUST IN THE PAST FEW
WEEKS ALONE, A HUMAN DRIVER SPED
ONTO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD
AND KILLED AN ENTIRE FAMILY AT
THE WEST PORTAL BUS STOP. ON
APRIL 2ND, A BIG RIG IN GLENDALE
CRASHED INTO A SEDAN AND KILLED
THE DRIVER. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE
THAT, IN SEPTEMBER 2023, IN
WINCHESTER, A TRUCK DRIVER ON
DRUGS CRASHED AND KILLED TWO
PEOPLE. LAST YEAR, A DRUNK TRUCK
DRIVER IN OREGON KILLED SEVEN
PEOPLE IN A HORRIFIC CALAMITY
AND IN 2020, RIGHT HERE IN
SACRAMENTO, A SPEEDING SEMI IN
EXPLICABLY PLOWED INTO SLOWING
TRAFFIC, KILLING ONE AND
INJURING MANY MORE. THE VIDEO IS
STILL ONLINE. IT'S DEVASTATING
TO WATCH. I'LL BE DIRECT IF
PRIME TIME IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING
ON THE ROADS TODAY, WITH HUMAN
DRIVERS AT THE WHEEL, THEN MAKE
NO MISTAKE, WE WANT NO PART OF
IT. WE WANT TO MAKE THE ROADS
SAFER. AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS ARE DOING
BECAUSE THEY DON'T SPEED, THEY
DON'T DO DRUGS, THEY DON'T GET
DISTRACTED, AND THEY DON'T HAVE
HEART ATTACKS. UNLIKE IN
CALIFORNIA, AV TRUCKS HAVE BEEN
OPERATING ON THE ROADS IN
SEVERAL STATES NOT ONE FATALITY
OR SERIOUS INJURY. SECOND, AS
WITH LAST YEAR, THIS BILL
REMAINS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.
AV TRUCKS HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED
HERE FOR 13 YEARS. DMV HAS BEEN
WORKING ON RULES TO GET THIS
TECHNOLOGY SLOWLY ROLLED OUT FOR
THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE. AND
JUST AS WE GET TO THE GOAL LINE
AFTER BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
INVESTMENT AND THOUSANDS OF
BUSINESSES COUNTING ON IT AND
WHEN GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID THEY
ARE JUST MONTHS AWAY FROM
PUTTING OUT DRAFT RULES THAT
WILL BE CONSIDERED BY ALL THE
STAKEHOLDERS OVER A PERIOD, LONG
PERIOD OF TIME, THIS BILL WOULD
SHUT IT DOWN FOR A MINIMUM OF
ANOTHER SIX YEARS, WITH NO
GUARANTEE OF EVER LETTING IT
HAPPEN. THAT'S UNFORTUNATE. AND
FRANKLY, AS A POLICY MATTER, IT
IS UNSERIOUS. WE STRONGLY URGE A
NO VOTE ON THIS BILL, AND I
WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK
YOU, MOVING ON TO, MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC, WHO ARE IN
OPPOSITION AS WELL. THIS IS THE
ME TOO TIME. AND SO NAME,
POSITION AND POSITION. TIM
TAYLOR WITH THE NATIONAL
FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT
BUSINESS IN OPPOSITION. THANK
YOU. MIKE WILLIAMS WITH THE
CALIFORNIA DELIVERY ASSOCIATION
IN OPPOSITION. HELEN FONG, ON
BEHALF OF THE COLLEGIAN CHAMBER
IN OPPOSITION, ROBERT SINGLETON
WITH CHAMBER OF PROGRESS,
RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED MARCUS
GÓMEZ, EXPORTER OF USED
CLOTHING. CALIFORNIA CLOTHING
RECYCLERS. AND I'M ALSO THE VICE
CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA HISPANIC
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND I HAVE
TO DEAL WITH TRANSPORTATION
EVERY DAY WITH MY BUSINESS. AND
THERE'S A LACK OF TRUCK DRIVERS.
SO WE I STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS
BILL. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M PHIL VERMEULEN, REPRESENTING
THE COALITION OF SMALL AND
DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESSES AND
THE FLASHER BARRICADE
ASSOCIATION. WE'RE IN STRONG
OPPOSITION TO THIS MEASURE.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM
CHAIR MEMBERS. BRADY VAN
ENGLAND, CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE HERE IN RESPECTFUL
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. MADAM
CHAIR MEMBERS. DEAN TALLEY WITH
THE CALIFORNIA MANUFACTURERS AND
TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS
JOSE TORRES WITH TECHNET IN
STRONG OPPOSITION. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MICHAEL SARAGOSA, ON
BEHALF OF THE LATIN BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION, IN OPPOSITION. GOOD
AFTERNOON, DOUG KESSLER,
POLITICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE
CENTRAL VALLEY UNION
ASSOCIATION. AND WE'RE OPPOSED
TO THIS LEGISLATION. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JESS
GONZALEZ, AND I'M WITH A
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION
OUT OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AND
WE'RE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS
BILL. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS ALEX
BROWNSTEIN, ON BEHALF OF THE BAY
AREA COUNCIL AND RESPECTFUL
OPPOSITION, THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON. PETER MUNOZ, ON
BEHALF OF THE SILICON VALLEY
LEADERSHIP GROUP, AS WELL AS THE
LOS ANGELES COUNTY BUSINESS
FEDERATION, RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED
. MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS,
TIMOTHY BURR, ON BEHALF OF
AURORA INNOVATION IN OPPOSITION.
THANKS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, TO
ALL THOSE WHO HAVE TESTIFIED OR
PROVIDED PUBLIC TESTIMONY IN
SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION, I'M
BRINGING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEES FOR ANY QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS OR CONCERNS HAPPEN. I
JUST, I WAS HAPPY TO COAUTHOR
THIS BILL LAST YEAR, AND I'D
LIKE TO BE A COAUTHOR THIS YEAR,
AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE BILL.
THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE A FIRST
AND A SECOND. ANY OTHER COMMENTS
? I'M SORRY, VICE CHAIR DAVIS,
THANK YOU. WHEN WE SAW THIS BILL
LAST YEAR WAS SOMETHING THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT REALLY KIND OF HIT
ME. AND WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS
OBVIOUSLY MY DISTRICT. WHEN I
HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS, I LIKE TO
PUT SURVEYS OUT THERE BECAUSE
ULTIMATELY I'M REPRESENTING
THOSE VOTES AND THOSE VOICES,
AND WE PUT THE SURVEY OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK WE ALL AGREE
THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE GOING,
YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE GETTING
THERE. BUT RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS
ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE ISSUES.
AND WHEN WE DID A POLLING, IT
WAS 98% FELT MORE COMFORTABLE
HAVING SOMEONE BEHIND THE WHEEL.
AND FOR THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE
REASONS WHY I SUPPORTED IT. AND
I'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.
THANK YOU. HOOVER FOR AREA, I
JUST I APPRECIATE THE, KIND OF
COMMENTS YOU MADE. YOU KNOW,
ACTUALLY BOTH OF THE OPPOSITION
COMMENTS, I THINK I WAS CURIOUS
IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT
MORE TO, THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ECONOMIC
IMPACT THAT THIS BILL COULD
HAVE. OBVIOUSLY, THE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS, IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO
PASS THIS BILL, BUT BUT ALSO THE
POSITIVE IMPACTS THAT WE COULD
SEE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THIS
TECHNOLOGY IS SAFELY ON THE
ROADS. YEAH. ASSEMBLY MEMBER,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
QUESTION. AND HAPPY TO GET INTO
THAT IN JUST FOR A MOMENT HERE.
IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY
BENEFITS THAT WOULD ACCRUE AS A
RESULT OF THE ELIMINATION OR
REDUCTION OF HUMAN IMPAIRMENT
CRASHES THAT ARE SCOURGE OF THE
ROADS TODAY, THE ECONOMIC
BENEFITS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED AND
THEY'RE SUBSTANTIAL, I THINK IT
STARTS WITH THE, WELL, AGAIN,
WELL DOCUMENTED DRIVER SHORTAGE
THAT WE HAVE THAT'S PROJECTED TO
INCREASE FOR, FOR A LONG PERIOD
OF TIME, IT WAS MENTIONED 50%
MORE SURFACE FREIGHT NEEDS TO
BE, SHIPPED IN THE COMING
DECADE. AND SO WHERE IS THAT
GOING TO COME FROM? THE MEDIAN
AGE OF A LONG HAUL TRUCK DRIVER
IS OVER 50 YEARS OLD, AND SO IN
ORDER TO FIX OUR SUPPLY CHAIN
AND GET THAT IN A PLACE WHERE WE
NEED IT, WE NEED THIS TECHNOLOGY
TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND IN
ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE MANY
STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT THIS IS
GOING TO RESULT IN AN INCREASE
IN JOBS, IN THE REDUCTION OF
CONSUMER PRICES, CONSUMER GOODS
THAT ARE THERE, AND A NUMBER OF
OTHER BENEFITS THAT WOULD BE
HAPPY TO PROVIDE TO THE
COMMITTEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THIS WAS A US DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION STUDY THAT WAS
DONE IN ADDITION TO A FEW OTHER
STUDIES. THANK YOU. AND JUST FOR
THE AUTHOR, YOU KNOW, I THINK,
OBVIOUSLY THIS WENT TO THE
GOVERNOR'S DESK LAST YEAR. HE
EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT
BEING UNNECESSARY. AND, YOU
KNOW, I'M WE'VE KIND OF HEARD
SOME OF THE CONCERNS, BUT, WHAT
IS THE FEELING THIS YEAR ON ON
WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE? ARE THERE GOING TO BE
ANY CHANGES TO THE BILL THIS
YEAR? JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. WE
ARE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE. THEY'VE BEEN WE'VE HAD
THE OPPORTUNITY TO OUTREACH WITH
THEM. I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THE
BILL, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT HE
WILL GIVE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF
THE BILL AND THAT WE'LL GET TO A
PLACE THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO
OUR CONSTITUENTS. YES. OKAY.
THANK YOU, I JUST I WOULD JUST
CLOSE ON A COMMENT. I FEEL LIKE,
I OBVIOUSLY OPPOSED THE BILL.
LAST YEAR, I LAID OUT MY
CONCERNS, MY CONCERNS CONTINUE
TO BE THAT I DO AGREE WITH A
NUMBER OF WHAT THE PROPONENTS
HAVE SAID, THAT I WANT TO MAKE
SURE OUR STREETS ARE SAFE IN
CALIFORNIA. I THINK WHERE MY
DISAGREEMENT LIES IS THAT I
THINK IT'S THE HUMAN OPERATOR
THAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE
BARRIER TO THAT. AND SO,
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK
TO DO IN THE CURRENT PROCESS TO
MAKE SURE THAT THESE VEHICLES
ARE SAFE, THAT'S WHY WE CREATED
THE PROCESS, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF THESE EVER
OPERATE ON CALIFORNIA ROADS,
THAT THEY'RE DOING SO IN A SAFE
MANNER. BUT I THINK THAT THE
POTENTIAL FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY TO
ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF
OUR ROADS IS TOO GREAT. SO I
WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE
BILL TODAY. THANK YOU. SEEING NO
OTHER COMMENTS, I JUST HAVE ONE
FOLLOW UP QUESTION YOU NOTED
THAT THERE WERE AV TRUCKS
OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. DID THOSE HAVE HUMAN
OPERATORS IN THEM OR ARE THEY
OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY? THANK
YOU, CHAIR WILSON. IT'S AN
IMPORTANT QUESTION. AT THE
MOMENT THEY DO, BUT THERE ARE
PLANS, ACTIVE PLANS TO NOT HAVE
HUMAN OPERATORS THIS YEAR IN
2024. AND AS NOTED, THIS THIS
LEGISLATION, AS IT DID LAST
YEAR, WOULD SLAM THE DOOR ON
THAT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER SIX
YEARS, TO REMOVE ANY OPERATOR,
WHEREAS COMPANIES HAVE ACTIVE
PLANS TO REMOVE THE DRIVER IN
2024. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR
FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, I'D LIKE
TO NOTE THE PROMISE OF
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IS ONE I
TRULY BELIEVE IN. OVER 4300
CALIFORNIANS LOST THEIR LIVES TO
TRAFFIC COALITION COLLISIONS IN
2021, DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY THAT
CAN DRIVE BETTER THAN HUMANS IS
IMPERATIVE TO SAVING TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF LIVES. AT THE SAME
TIME, I'M CONCERNED THAT DMV HAS
NOT DONE AN ADEQUATE JOB IN
REGULATING AVS FOR SMALL
VEHICLES. THE POTENTIAL CARNAGE
THAT CAN BE CAUSED BY AN 80,000
POUND TRUCK IS ALARMING. OUR
CONSTITUENTS EXPECT THAT ITS
GOVERNMENT WILL DO EVERYTHING IT
CAN TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, YET 68%
OF AMERICANS ARE AFRAID OF
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. I BELIEVE
WE AS A LEGISLATURE, SHOULD
REQUIRE A HUMAN SAFETY OPERATOR
AND AN AUTOMATED TRUCK UNTIL
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES COMPANIES
AND THE REGULATORS HAVE
INSTILLED CONFIDENCE IN THESE
VEHICLES ABILITY TO OPERATE
SAFER THAN A HUMAN OPERATOR. AND
WITH THAT, I'LL SUPPORT THE
BILL. TODAY WE HAVE A MOTION ON
THE FLOOR BY PAPIN, SECOND BY
CARILLO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE
BEFORE I HAVE THE SECRETARY CALL
THE ROLL, QUICK. LIKE I WANT TO
THANK, YOU ALL FOR A THOUGHTFUL
DISCUSSION. MANY OF YOU HAVE
TALKED TO ME ON ALONG THE WAY.
THIS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE. AND
BECAUSE AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING
HOLDS PROMISE, HOWEVER IT IS IF
IT'S DEPLOYED POORLY IN
CALIFORNIA, IT WILL COST US
LIVES WHILE IGNORING THE
INTERESTS OF 500,000 CALIFORNIA
EXPERT WORKERS. THIS BAN, LET'S
MAKE IT CLEAR, DOES NOT BAN
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS. IT DOES ASK
FOR THAT A HUMAN SAFETY OPERATOR
BE PRESENT TO MONITOR THE
TECHNOLOGY AS IT IS TESTED AND
DEPLOYED TO RESPOND TO
EMERGENCIES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE
A QUICK COMMENT. IS THAT ON THE
SUPPLY CHAIN, STUDIES BY MIT
HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE IS NOT A
TRUCKER SHORTAGE, BUT THERE IS A
CHRONIC, UNDERUTILIZED VERSION
OF AMERICAN TRUCK DRIVERS. FOR
EXAMPLE, THERE ARE MANY TRUCK
DRIVERS WHO JOINED THE WORKFORCE
TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE SUPPLY
CHAIN CRISIS. HOWEVER, TODAY
SOME ARE TODAY ARE STRUGGLING TO
MAKE ENDS MEET BECAUSE THEY
CANNOT FIND WORK THAT PAYS THEM
ENOUGH TO COVER THEIR COSTS.
TRUCK DRIVING IS ONE OF THE MOST
COMMON JOBS, AND THIS BILL HELPS
THE TRANSITION TO THAT
WORKFORCE. I WANT TO THANK YOU
ALL FOR, CONSIDERING OUR
CONSTITUENTS, AS WE KNOW, LAST
YEAR AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER, DAVIES
COMMENTED ON, SHE DID A SURVEY
FOR IN HER DISTRICT, LAST YEAR
WHEN WE DID AB 316, I JUST WANT
TO REMIND YOU, WE HAD 105 I
VOTES IN THE LEGISLATURE LAST
YEAR. IT HAD BROAD BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT, AND POLLING SHOWED THAT
783% OF CALIFORNIANS AGREED WITH
OUR POLICY. I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR AYE VOTE. THANK YOU.
MADAM SECRETARY. COULD YOU CALL
THE ROLL AB 2286? THE MOTION IS
DUE. PASS TO THE COMMITTEE ON
COMMUNICATIONS AND CONVEYANCE.
WILSON I WILSON I DAVIES. DAVIES
I AGUIAR-CURRY I AGUIAR-CURRY I
BERMAN BERMAN NOT VOTING CARILLO
RIO I HART. HART I HOOVER.
HOOVER. NO. JACKSON LOWENTHAL.
LOWENTHAL I PAPPIN HAPPEN I
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ I TING WALLACE
WALLACE I WARD I WARD I WICKS.
OKAY. TEN ONE. WE'LL LEAVE THAT
OPEN FOR, OTHER MEMBERS TO ADD
ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND
THANK YOU TO YOUR COMMITTEE
.
ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE WILL
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TEN A B
3123. JOAN SAWYER TO THE AUTHOR
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE
.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, I PRESENT A B 3123,
WHICH SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT
ETHICS LAWS THAT GOVERN ELECTED
OFFICIALS STATEWIDE APPLY
EQUALLY TO LOS ANGELES METRO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WITH THE
RECENT PASSAGE OF SB 1439, WHICH
AMENDS THE LEVINE ACT IN 2023,
CALIFORNIA MADE CLEAR THAT THERE
SHOULD BE A UNIFORM ETHICS LAW
GOVERNING ALL CONTRACT DECISIONS
BY LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS
REGARDING OF THE COMPOSITION OF
A BOARD OR COMMISSION. HOWEVER
L.A. METRO IS STILL SUBJECT TO A
30 YEAR OLD LAW THAT IMPOSES
DIFFERENT STANDARDS ON BOARD
MEMBERS REGARDING CONTRACT
DECISIONS AND RECEIPT OF
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
CONTRACT. FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER THE
CURRENT LAW, BOARD MEMBERS ARE
PROHIBITED FROM ACCEPTING
CONTRIBUTIONS OVER $10, WHILE
THE LEVINE ACT PROHIBITS
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS OVER 250.
THESE DIFFERING STANDARDS AND
REQUIREMENTS HAVE MADE IT
DIFFICULT FOR LA METRO TO COMPLY
, SIMPLY BECAUSE BOARD MEMBERS
ARE SUBJECT TO BOTH THE LEVINE
ACT AND THE HAYDEN BILL IN THEIR
ROLES AS METRO BOARD MEMBERS. AS
SUCH, LA METRO SEEKS TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH ALL OTHER
OFFICIALS IN THE STATE MAKING
CONTRACT DECISIONS UNDER THE
STANDARDS AND GUIDANCE OF THE
LEVINE ACT, WHICH GOVERNS THEIR
PRIMARY ELECTED POSITIONS. AB
3123 IS A NARROWLY TAILORED BILL
THAT WILL BRING THE METRO BOARD
INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEVINE
ACT BY REMOVING OUT-OF-DATE
LANGUAGE ON GIFTS, HONORARIUM,
TRAVEL, AND FINANCIAL CONFLICTS
THAT CONTRAST WITH CURRENT
APPLICABLE STATE LAW AND METRO
CODE OF CONDUCT. THIS BILL ALSO
MAKES CHANGES TO METRO'S
LOBBYIST REGISTRATION STATUTE,
ALIGNMENT REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS, STANDARDS, AND
PROHIBITIONS WITH SIMILAR
AGENCIES. FINALLY, AB 3123
CODIFIES THE SPECIFIC AUTHORITY
OF METRO'S ETHICS DEPARTMENT AND
MANDATES ITS INDEPENDENCE. WITH
ME IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL IS
MADELEINE MORE, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE
OFFICER FOR LILA METRO, AND PAUL
SALAS, CHIEF ETHICS OFFICER FOR
LA METRO. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR
AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. MY NAME
IS MADELEINE MOORE. I AM
REPRESENTING THE LOS ANGELES
METRO GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, LOS
ANGELES METRO IS THE PROUD
SPONSOR OF AB 3123. I WILL NOW
TURN IT OVER TO LA'S METRO CHIEF
ETHICS OFFICER, PAUL SOLIS TO
PROVIDE COMMENT. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MADAM CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS PAUL
SOLIS, CHIEF, CHIEF ETHICS
OFFICER AT LA METRO. LA METRO IS
A THIRD LARGEST TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES AND
HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST CAPITAL
CONSTRUCTION AND SYSTEM
EXPANSION PROGRAMS IN THE
NATION. TO PREPARE FOR THE 2020
OLYMPICS AND BEYOND. CURRENTLY,
I ADVISE THE LA METRO BOARD ON
ISSUES RELATED TO STATE PAY TO
PLAY LAWS. METRO IS SUBJECT TO
TWO OF THESE LAWS ONE IN THE
PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE OF THE PUC
THAT APPLIES EXCLUSIVELY TO
METRO AND ONE IN THE GOVERNMENT
CODE KNOWN AS THE LEVINE ACT
THAT APPLIES STATEWIDE. THE
METRO SPECIFIC PUC LAW EMPLOYS
DIFFERENT TERMS LANGUAGE, DOLLAR
THRESHOLDS AND TIME PERIODS IN
THE LEVINE ACT. IMPORTANTLY THE
LEVINE ACT HAS AMPLE
INTERPRETIVE GUIDANCE ISSUED BY
THE CALIFORNIA FAIR POLITICAL
PRACTICES COMMISSION AND COURTS,
WHILE THE PUC LAW HAS VIRTUALLY
NONE. THIS CREATES ISSUES WITH
COMPLIANCE, AND IT'S FRANKLY
VERY CONFUSING. IT ALSO CREATES
LIABILITY AND RISK FOR METRO.
THE CURRENT SPONSORED AMENDMENTS
WOULD ALLOW THE LEVINE ACT TO
GOVERN THE METRO BOARD'S PAY TO
PLAY RESPONSIBILITIES,
CONSISTENT WITH ALL OTHER LOCAL
AGENCIES IN THE STATE, AND THE
INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATURE IN
2023. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL
AMENDMENTS I WANT TO BRIEFLY
EXPLAIN. FIRST, THE BILL WOULD
MAKE AMENDMENTS TO METRO'S
LOBBYIST REGISTRATION STATUTE,
KEEPING IT CONSISTENT WITH ALL
OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CITY OF
LA. NEXT, THE BILL WOULD REMOVE
OUT-OF-DATE LANGUAGE IN THE
BOARD'S CODE OF CONDUCT THAT
CONTRASTS WITH CURRENT
APPLICABLE STATE LAW AND METRO'S
ADMINISTRATIVE CODES. THE BILL
WOULD ALSO ENACT CHANGES AND
ADDITIONS THAT EXIST IN PEER
AGENCY CODES. FINALLY, THIS BILL
STRENGTHENS METRO'S ETHICS
DEPARTMENT BY SPECIFYING ITS
AUTHORITY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE BOARD AND AGENCY. IT ALSO
ADDS A TWO THIRDS VOTE
REQUIREMENT INSTEAD OF A SIMPLE
MAJORITY FOR THE BOARD TO FIRE
THE ETHICS OFFICER, THE SAME AS
METRO'S INSPECTOR GENERAL.
THAT'S CURRENTLY CODIFIED IN
STATE LAW. IN CONCLUSION, METRO
IS SIMPLY SEEKING TO IMPLEMENT A
CLEAR SYSTEM WHERE BOARD
MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, LOBBYISTS,
AND CONTRACTORS CAN ALL HAVE
CONFIDENCE THEY'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE
AND COMPLIANT WITH IMPORTANT
ETHICS LAWS AND RULES. THUS,
METRO SUPPORTS AB 3123. THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADDRESS THIS COMMITTEE. THANK
YOU. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY AND SUPPORT. LOOKING
FOR ME TO NAME POSITION AND
ORGANIZATION. ARE THERE ANY.
SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION OR, ME
TOO. A SHORT COMMENT, SEEING
NONE, MOVING IT BACK TO MEMBERS,
FOR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR
CONCERNS. SEEING NONE, THERE IS
A MOTION. OKAY ALL RIGHT. SO AS
AS AUTHOR NOTED, THIS BILL
AMENDS AND UPDATES THE CODE OF
CONDUCT AND LOBBYING RULES FOR
LA METRO. MOST LOCAL AGENCIES
ADOPT THEIR OWN CODE OF CONDUCT
AND LOBBYING RULES AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL, ALLOWING FOR PUBLIC
INPUT. HOWEVER, LA METRO
ESTABLISHED THEIRS IN STATE
STATUTE. THEREFORE, IT WILL BE
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO ENSURE THAT
ALL MEMBERS OF THE LA COUNTY
DELEGATIONS ARE IN SUPPORT OF
THE CONTENT OF THIS BILL AS IT
MOVES FORWARD. I WILL BE
SUPPORTING THIS BILL TODAY.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY
BERMAN, SECONDED BY CARRILLO,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE? I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR I
VOTE. THERE WE GO. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
AB 3123. THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS
TO THE COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS.
WILSON. HI. WILSON. I DAVIES.
DAVIES. NÓ. AGUIAR-CURRY.
AGUIAR-CURRY I BERMAN. BERMAN I
CARILLO CARILLO I HEART ART I
HOOVER. HOOVER. NOT VOTING
JACKSON LOWENTHAL. LOWENTHAL I
PAPPIN HAPPEN I SANCHEZ.
SANCHEZ. NO. KING WALLACE.
WALLACE. NOT VOTING. WARD. WARD
I WICKS.
EIGHT TWO WILL LEAVE THE ROLE
OPEN FOR MEMBERS TO ADD ON.
OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN,
AB 2815. PETRI NORRIS, AUTHOR,
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. SECOND.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, AND
MEMBERS. IS IT WHAT? WELL, HELLO
. HELLO. OKAY GOOD AFTERNOON,
MADAM CHAIR. AND MEMBERS,
PLEASED TO BE HERE TO PRESENT AB
2815, WHICH WILL HELP CALIFORNIA
MODERNIZE OUR EXISTING EV
CHARGING STATION NETWORK. I WANT
TO THANK THE CHAIR AND COMMITTEE
STAFF FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS
BILL, AND I WILL BE ACCEPTING
THE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS.
CALIFORNIA'S LED THE NATION WHEN
IT COMES TO THE TRANSITION FROM
COMBUSTION VEHICLES TO ZERO
EMISSION VEHICLES. TODAY,
CALIFORNIA HAS APPROXIMATELY
94,000 CHARGING STATIONS. WE
NEED TO ACHIEVE TRULY
ASTRONOMICAL GROWTH OVER THE
COURSE OF THE NEXT TEN YEARS TO
ACHIEVE OUR CLIMATE GOALS, IT'S
ESTIMATED THAT WE ARE GOING TO
NEED 2.1 MILLION CHARGING
STATIONS BY 2035. AB 2008 15
AIMS TO BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION
BY DIRECTING THE CEC TO ALLOCATE
A PORTION OF EXISTING FUNDS TO
MAKE TO MODERNIZE LEGACY
CHARGING STATIONS THAT ARE AT
LEAST FIVE YEARS OLD. AND I WANT
TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE
HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATION WITH
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IT IS NOT MY
INTENTION THAT THIS WILL BE A
WAY FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES TO
DOUBLE DIP, SO WHAT WE WILL BE
DOING IS TAKING SOME CLARIFYING
AMENDMENTS IN PRIOR TO THE NEXT
COMMITTEE, TO CLARIFY THAT IF
YOU ARE A PRIVATE COMPANY WHO
RECEIVED STATE FUNDING IN ORDER
TO INSTALL YOUR STATION, YOU ARE
NOT ELIGIBLE, THEN FOR THIS
ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING FOR
REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, AND
WHILE AS I SAID, THE BILL IS
CURRENTLY SILENT ON THAT POINT,
WILL BE CLARIFYING THAT BEFORE
THE NEXT COMMITTEE. SO WITH
THAT, PLEASED TO BE JOINED TODAY
BY MEGAN BERG FROM THE ELECTRIC
VEHICLE CHARGING ASSOCIATION,
WHO WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
TESTIMONY. HI THERE, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME. AND THANK YOU TO THE
ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR AUTHORING AB
2815, MY NAME IS MEGAN
MICKELBERG AND I REPRESENT THE
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
ASSOCIATION, FOUNDED IN 2015,
AVCA IS A NOT FOR PROFIT
ORGANIZATION OF 22 LEADING
COMPANIES THAT DESIGN,
MANUFACTURE, INSTALL, OPERATE
AND MAINTAIN EV CHARGING
SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, AND MORE.
THE AVCA PROVIDES A VOICE FOR
THE INDUSTRY TO EDUCATE AND
PARTNER WITH POLICYMAKERS ON
CRITICAL POLICIES TO HELP THE
MARKET SCALE AND ACHIEVE
CALIFORNIA'S EV CHARGING GOALS.
THE ASSOCIATION IS A PROUD
SPONSOR OF AB 2815, WHICH WILL
SUPPORT THE MODERNIZATION OF
INOPERABLE EV CHARGERS THAT ARE
IN NEED OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
. SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE
MASS MARKET, CALIFORNIA HAS
BEEN, AS WAS STATED, AN
UNEQUIVOCAL LEADER WHEN IT COMES
TO EV CHARGING, OVER THE LAST
DECADE, INTO THE ELECTRIC
VEHICLE TRANSMISSION TRANSITION,
MANY PUBLIC EV CHARGERS ARE
NEARING THE END OF THEIR USEFUL
LIFE. AT THE SAME TIME, EV
CHARGING TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED
RAPIDLY IN RECENT YEARS, AND
MANY LEGACY CHARGERS DO NOT HAVE
THE SAME CHARGING PERFORMANCE
THAT EV DRIVERS HAVE COME TO
EXPECT FROM NEWER, MODERN
CHARGING EQUIPMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE HAVE
INSTITUTED A NUMBER OF NEW
REGULATIONS IN RECENT YEARS,
INCLUDING STANDARDS FOR PAYMENT,
ELECTRICITY DELIVERY,
RELIABILITY, CONNECTORS, AND
MORE. AB 2815 REPRESENTS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO INCENTIVIZE THE
REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET
TODAY'S STANDARDS, WHICH WILL
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
OPERATIONAL CHARGERS AND ENHANCE
RELIABILITY OF THE EXISTING
FLEET OF INFRASTRUCTURE BY
INCENTIVIZING THE REPLACEMENT
AND REPAIR OF THE INOPERABLE
CHARGING STATIONS, RECIPIENT
OWNERS AND OPERATORS WILL BE
MORE INCLINED TO FIX THEIR
STATION AND WILL BE SUBJECT TO
THE NEWEST STANDARDS, INCLUDING
NEW RELIABILITY AND UPTIME
STANDARDS BEING DEVELOPED BY THE
ENERGY COMMISSION. IMPORTANTLY,
ANY RECIPIENTS OF THOSE FUNDS
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE
ALONGSIDE THE STATE'S
INVESTMENT, AND AT LEAST 50% OF
THE FUNDING MUST GO TO
DISADVANTAGED OR LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES. FOR THOSE REASONS,
FCA IS PROUD TO SPONSOR AB 2015
AND RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR
SUPPORT TODAY. THANK YOU.
LOOKING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
WHO WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY IN A METOO FASHION,
NAME, POSITION AND ORGANIZATION.
NICOLE WATERMAN, ON BEHALF OF
THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS AND SUPPORT.
MICHELLE KANELLIS ON BEHALF OF
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN
SUPPORT. CHRIS SCROGGIN ON
BEHALF OF CHARGEPOINT IN SUPPORT
. MARK FENSTERMAKER FOR
PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY AND
SUPPORT. MARGIE LEE SAMSON
ADVISORS, ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA NEW CAR DEALERS
ASSOCIATION, IN STRONG SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO ANY
TESTIMONY, ANY WITNESSES AND
OPPOSITION? I THINK THERE WERE
ANY ON FILE NOT SEEING ANYONE
FOR SHORT OPPOSITION SEEING NONE
MOVING TWO MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. IF THERE WAS ANY
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. CARILLO.
NO. NO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
JUST WANT TO THANK THE AUTHOR
FOR BRINGING THIS MEASURE AGAIN,
AND THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT
50% OF THOSE FUNDS WILL GO TO
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES LIKE
THE ONES THAT I REPRESENT. THANK
YOU FOR DOING THAT. AND I GUESS
THE CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL
BE THE CASE. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT. WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS BILL FORWARD,
WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE ON
THE AMENDS AND ADDRESSING
ADDITIONAL CONCERNS BROUGHT
FORTH BY MEMBERS OF THIS
COMMITTEE. EV CHARGING HAS
ADVANCED LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN THE
LAST FEW YEARS, AND MANY BROKEN
CHARGERS ARE SEVERAL GENERATIONS
OLD. THIS BILL WILL HELP BRING
OLD CHARGERS BACK TO LIFE AND UP
TO DATE WITH CURRENT PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS. HOWEVER, THE STATE
HAS TO PRIORITIZE BUILDING MANY
MORE NEW CHARGERS TO REACH OUR
CLIMATE GOALS. THESE FUNDS WILL
KEEP THE STATE'S CHARGING
INFRASTRUCTURE AFLOAT UNTIL MORE
CHARGERS ARE BUILT. STATION
OWNERS AND OPERATORS SHOULD
ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN
EXISTING CHARGERS. WITH THAT, I
WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS BILL
TODAY. THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY
DAVIES, SECONDED BY
AGUIAR-CURRY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? I WILL JUST CLOSE BY
REQUESTS, RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTING YOUR. AYE VOTE. THANK
YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU,
MADAM SECRETARY. AB 828 AB 2815
IS Dð PASS TO THE COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES. WILSON AYE.
WILSON. AYE. DAVIES. DAVIES. AYE
AGUIAR-CURRY. AGUIAR-CURRY. AYE.
BERMAN. BERMAN AYE. CARILLO.
CARILLO. AYE. HART HART. AYE.
HOOVER. HOOVER. AYE. JACKSON.
LOWENTHAL LOWENTHAL. AYE. PAPIN.
PAPIN I. SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ I
TING. WALLACE WARD. WARD I.
WICKS. ALL RIGHT. 11. WE'LL WAIT
FOR ANY MEMBERS. WE'LL LEAVE THE
ROLL OPEN FOR ANY MEMBERS TO ADD
ON. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT,
WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER
EIGHT, AB 3061. HANEY.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE, I'M HERE TODAY TO
PRESENT AB 3061, WHICH IS THE
SELF-DRIVING CARS SAFETY ACT. AB
3061 PROMOTES TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE TESTING
AND DEPLOYMENT OF SELF-DRIVING
CARS, ALSO KNOWN AS AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES. BY MAKING INCIDENT
RELATED DATA MORE ACCESSIBLE TO
THE PUBLIC. OUR STATE IS A
NATIONAL LEADER IN SELF-DRIVING
CAR TECHNOLOGY, OFFERING A REAL
WORLD TESTING GROUND FOR THIS
EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY. HOWEVER,
RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING
SELF-DRIVING CARS, INCLUDING
COLLISIONS, TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS
AND PEDESTRIAN INJURIES HAVE
RAISED PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS.
THIS BILL ENACTS STATUTORY
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA
COLLECTION REGARDING THE TESTING
AND DEPLOYMENT OF AVS. THIS
LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO
SUPPLEMENT CURRENT REGULATION
AND PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY IN AV
OPERATIONS. THE DMV CURRENT
CURRENT DATA COLLECTION
PRACTICES LACK CONSISTENCY WITH
FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, AND
EXISTING REGULATIONS HAVEN'T
BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. DESPITE
ADVANCEMENTS IN AV TECHNOLOGY
AND A SHIFT TOWARDS COMMERCIAL
DEPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THE
RIDE HAILING INDUSTRY, THERE IS
STRONG PUBLIC INTEREST IN AV
DATA TRANSPARENCY AND SAFETY,
EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR
LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO ADDRESS
THESE CONCERNS. WITH THIS BILL,
AB 3061 WILL ENACT THESE
STATUTORY MINIMUM FOR DATA
COLLECTION DURING BOTH TESTING
AND DEPLOYMENT PHASES OF AVS.
THE BILL SUPPLEMENTS EXISTING
REGULATIONS OVERSEEN BY THE DMV
AND PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION,
TO ENSURE THAT THE AV COMPANIES
UPHOLD SAFETY STANDARDS ON
PUBLIC ROADS. IT ADDRESSES
DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN STATE AND
FEDERAL DATA REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS, ALIGNING STATE
REGULATIONS WITH THOSE OVERSEEN
BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. THE BILL
WILL MANDATE AV COMPANIES TO
REPORT DETAILED DATA ON
INCIDENTS MIRRORING FEDERAL
GUIDELINES. THIS BILL PROMOTES
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF
AVS THROUGH TRANSPARENCY AND
WILL EMPOWER USERS WITH MORE
INFORMATION, ALLOWING THEM TO
MAKE MORE INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT
AV TECHNOLOGY. I DO WANT TO NOTE
THAT WE ARE TAKING SEVERAL
AMENDMENTS, AND I WANT TO THANK
THE CHAIR AND YOUR STAFF AND,
FOLKS FROM THE INDUSTRY WHO HAVE
WORKED WITH US ON THESE
AMENDMENTS, I WAS TOLD TO NOTE
THESE HERE. SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE
TAKING THEM. I THINK, IN THE
NEXT COMMITTEE. BUT JUST SO
EVERYONE IS AWARE, WE ARE
DELETING SEX ASSAULT AND
HARASSMENT IN RESPONSE TO
INDUSTRY FLAG THAT IS ALREADY
COVERED BY CPUC. CLEARER
TIMELINES OF WHEN TO REPORT,
WHICH ADOPTS THE NHTSA, A TIME
ESSAY, TIMELINES, DELETION OF
THE CAUSE OF COLLISION LANGUAGE
IN RESPONSE TO INDUSTRY CONCERNS
. REVISION OF VEHICLE
PERFORMANCE DATA IN THE
COLLISION SECTION TO USE THE
LANGUAGE NHTSA USES WITH THE
ADDITION OF WHETHER THE
TECHNOLOGY WAS ENGAGED. PENALTY
PROVISION REVISED FROM MANDATORY
TO DISCRETIONARY, AND THE
SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF
PERMITS CHANGED FROM MANDATORY
TO DISCRETIONARY. WE HAVE A VERY
BROAD COALITION OF FOLKS WHO ARE
SUPPORTING THIS BILL, AND IT
WILL SUPPORT, I THINK THE
TRANSPARENCY AND CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE THAT WE NEED WHEN IT
COMES TO AVS HERE TO TESTIFY
TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL ARE
THE SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND THE
CALIFORNIA TEAMSTERS PUBLIC
AFFAIRS COUNCIL. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MADAM CHAIR, AND MEMBERS. THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS
QUENTIN BOOK. EXCUSE ME. MY NAME
IS QUENTIN BOOKER. I'M A
SANITATION TRUCK DRIVER AND A
PROUD MEMBER OF THE TEAMSTERS
LOCAL 350. I'M HERE TODAY TO
SUPPORT THE ASSEMBLY BILL 3061,
BECAUSE IT'S TIME FOR. WE PASS
COMMON SENSE AV LEGISLATION TO
ENSURE PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY AND
PRIVACY IN DATA REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS. I'VE BEEN A
PROFESSIONAL DRIVER FOR OVER 20
YEARS. WHEN I'M BEHIND THE WHEEL
OF A TRUCK, ABOVE ALL, I
PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND HOPE THAT
OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME ARE
DOING THE SAME. I HAVE HAD ROBO
TAXIS BLOCKED, MY SANITATION
TRUCK TO PREVENT ME FROM DOING
MY JOB IN A TIMELY MANNER.
CLEANING THE STREETS I HAVE
WITNESSED COLLISIONS, TRAFFIC,
PILE UPS OF THESE ROBO TAXIS NOT
OPERATING CORRECTLY IS NOT JUST
AN INCONVENIENCE, IT'S AN
IMPEDIMENT TO THE COMMERCIAL
DRIVERS LIKE ME WHO ARE
SERVICING IN THE ROLE THAT ARE
ESSENTIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ARE RAPIDLY
BEING DEPLOYED ON OUR ROADS,
THERE ARE GLARING LOOPHOLES IN
THE DATA COLLECTED AT THE STATE
LEVEL AT THE TIME. AV COMPANIES
FACE ALMOST NO ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR THEIR VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS
FOR EITHER THE REGULATORY
AGENCIES. UNDER CALIFORNIA LAW,
PART OF THIS BILL IS BECAUSE THE
STATE IS NOT COLLECTING ENOUGH
DATA ON THE AVS DEPLOYMENT. IT
THAT IS, HAS THE AUTHORITY.
CALIFORNIA DMV HAS NOT
CONSISTENTLY TRACKED AT FAULT
DATA FOR COLLISIONS INVOLVING
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES FOR SEVERAL
YEARS. AND THE CPUC CONTINUES TO
PUSH THROUGH, APPROVE EXPULSION
OF ROBO TAXIS ONTO OUR ROADS
DESPITE THE ONGOING SAFETY
ACCIDENT HARMING PEDESTRIANS AND
DRIVERS, IT IS TIME. EXCUSE ME.
AT THE SAME TIME, OUR STATE
REGULATORY CHOOSE A RELY ON DATA
. WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE YOU WRAP UP
. THANK YOU. AND I ENCOURAGE, I
URGE YOU, THE ASSEMBLY
TRANSPORTATION TO COMPLETE THE
PASS UP ON THIS LAW. THANK YOU.
MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS, THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME. I AM JOHN PAUL
VELEZ WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO
COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, SAN
FRANCISCO HAS DEVELOPED A WEALTH
OF EXPERIENCE FROM COLLABORATING
WITH SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE
COMPANIES IN THE WORLD TO MAKE
TRAVEL IN SAN FRANCISCO SAFER,
HEALTHIER, AND EASIER FOR ALL,
THIS HAS ALSO BEEN OUR APPROACH
WITH AV COMPANIES. WE BELIEVE
THAT THEY HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL,
PARTICULARLY FOR IMPROVING ROAD
SAFETY. BUT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO
REALIZE THAT POTENTIAL COMMON
SENSE IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING
LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE
URGENTLY NEEDED, SUCH AS CLOSING
CRITICAL GAPS IN REPORTING
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AB 3061 ADDRESSES THESE GAPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, CURRENTLY, AV
COMPANIES ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO
SUBMIT DATA REPORTS TO THE DMV
ON THEIR TESTING PERMITS AND NOT
ON THEIR DEPLOYMENT PERMITS,
WHICH IS WHEN THEY OFFER RIDES
TO PASSENGERS FOR A FARE AND
SCALE OPERATIONS. MOREOVER, ONLY
A LIMITED AMOUNT OF THE DATA
THAT IS REPORTED TO REGULATORS
IS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC,
WITH SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS AS A
RESULT. I CANNOT REPORT TO YOU
HERE TODAY. VERY BASIC
INFORMATION LIKE HOW MANY AVS
ARE OPERATING IN SAN FRANCISCO,
WHERE ARE THE MOST COMMON
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, OR HOW OFTEN
ARE THEY INVOLVED IN CRASHES OR
OBSTRUCTING EMERGENCY RESPONSE
ACTIVITIES. IT IS IMPERATIVE
THAT THIS BASIC INFORMATION IS
SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC
TRANSPARENTLY, ESPECIALLY AT
THIS EARLY STAGE WHEN PUBLIC
ACCEPTANCE AND TRUST ARE SO
MIXED. FOLLOWING A SERIES OF
HIGH PROFILE HAZARDS AND
CRASHES, INDUSTRY REGULATORS AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NEED TO
COLLABORATE CLOSELY TO MAXIMIZE
THE BENEFITS OF AVS AND TO
PREVENT UNINTENDED NEGATIVE
IMPACTS, BOOSTING TRANSPARENCY
IN THE MANNER THAT AB 3061
PROPOSED REYES WILL BE A
FOUNDATIONAL STEP IN THAT
DIRECTION. WE THANK ASSEMBLY
MEMBER HAYNIE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP
AUTHORING THIS BILL, AND THANK
YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, AND I'LL
BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS
. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, WE'LL
MOVE ON TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
THOSE AND Ã ME TO STANCE, NAME,
POSITION AND ORGANIZATION. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS NANCY
DRABBLE. I'M THE CEO OF CONSUMER
ATTORNEYS OF CALIFORNIA, AND WE
ARE VERY PROUD TO CO-SPONSOR
THIS BILL. AND WE URGE YOUR YES
VOTE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MATT
BROWN, ON BEHALF OF THE
TEAMSTERS WHO ARE CO-SPONSORS IN
THIS BILL, AS WELL AS CSEA AND
ATU AND SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
YVONNE FERNANDEZ, CALIFORNIA
LABOR FEDERATION, IN SUPPORT.
MIKE FRY, 2785, LOCAL TEAMSTER
FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND STRONG
SUPPORT. THE WALLACE TEAMSTERS
LOCAL 2785, BUSINESS AGENT IN
SUPPORT. RYAN SNOW, BROTHERHOOD
OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON DK LEE
FROM TEAMSTERS 439. WE SUPPORT.
TRISH SUZUKI, TEAMSTERS JOINT
COUNCIL SEVEN IN SUPPORT. COURSE
GUNDALIA HEADQUARTERS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
TEAMSTERS IN SUPPORT. CHRIS
GARLOCK, LOCAL 431, FRESNO,
CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT. RENEE
WILSON, TEAMSTERS LOCAL 431 FROM
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT.
JAMES SANDOVAL, INTERNATIONAL
VICE PRESIDENT OF SMART
TRANSPORTATION ON BEHALF OF THE
SMART TÊ CALIFORNIA STATE
LEGISLATIVE BOARD AND SMART
EXECUTIVE BOARD AND FULL
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR
AND MEMBERS CORY HALLMAN,
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 856 HERE IN
SUPPORT. CHRISTOPHER SANCHEZ
WITH THE MESA VERDE GROUP,
REPRESENTING THE CONSUMER
FEDERATION OF CALIFORNIA, WHO
ARE PROUD TO BE A CO-SPONSOR.
NATHANIEL ABREGO SMART, TD LOCAL
ZERO ZERO 23 AND PLUS OPERATING
SANTA CRUZ IN SUPPORT. MONICA
SANDOVAL, A TAXPAYER AND A
CONCERNED MOTHER IN SUPPORT.
LAWRENCE CASINO, TEAMSTERS 665
IN SAN FRANCISCO AND SUPPORT.
JOE MATACAO, TEAMSTERS LOCAL
665, IN SUPPORT. MARK MALOOF,
BUSINESS AGENT WITH TEAMSTERS
LOCAL SIX, SIX FIVE, IN STRONG
SUPPORT. AFTERNOON. SEAN KATZ I
AM A CAMPUS SAFETY WITH NEWPORT
MESA, AND I'M ALSO THE
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE AND IN SUPPORT. MY
NAME IS MARIO BOJORQUEZ, A
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANT WITH
THE VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF
CSEA'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE,
AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL
. GOOD AFTERNOON. RICHARD
ALVAREZ FROM THE PARIS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS
HEALTH TECHNICIAN, IN STRONG
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. AND I'M
WITH THE CSEA LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE AS WELL. ANDREA
VARNEY, CSEA LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE. I WORK FOR SANTA
CLARITA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON.
VERONICA, A CHILD DEVELOPMENT
TEACHER. I WORK WITH EL MONTE
CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALSO PART
OF THE CSEA PACE COMMITTEE, AND
SUPPORT THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MEB STEINER, SPECIAL
EDUCATION PARAEDUCATOR IN PALO
ALTO UNIFIED AND I AM ALSO ON
THE CSEA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
AND STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS VALERIE VARGAS. I'M WITH
THE CSEA PACE COMMITTEE AND I
SUPPORT THIS BILL. HI. BRITTANY
CLARK, HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA
CLERK AND NEWMAN ROSELAND
UNIFIED AND MEMBER OF CSEA'S
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT
. GOOD AFTERNOON, HECTOR MUNOZ.
I AM A TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
SUPPORT TECHNICIAN FOR THE YUBA
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND
I'M ALSO ON CSEA'S LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE AND STRONG SUPPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DAVID
KONG. I'M A RETIRED TECHNOLOGY
TECHNICIAN FOR THE MONTEREY
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND
ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CSA
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. I'M
STRONGLY IN SUPPORT. REGINALD
ROBINSON, ROLLING UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT DRIVER TRAINER, CSA
COMMITTEE, LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE. AND I'M IN STRONG
SUPPORT OF THIS MEETING. HELLO,
MY NAME IS CHERYL MCDONNELL. I'M
FROM CÁC, REPRESENTING THE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND I'M
IN SUPPORT. HI, I'M KATIE
MCDONALD FROM PARAEDUCATOR FOR
BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND ALSO A POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEE FOR CSEA. AND I'M IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HI. I'M
STAR AVILA, A CSEA PACE
COMMITTEE MEMBER, AND I SUPPORT
THIS BILL. HI, I'M EDITH
WILLIAMS FROM KERN HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M ON THE LEGISLATURA
COMMITTEE. I'M IN SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. HELLO. MY NAME IS
STEVE LOPEZ. I'M ELECTRONICS
TECHNICIAN AT GARVEY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALSO THE
CÁC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSON. I AM IN SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M
JOHN SULLIVAN. I'M AT ELEMENTARY
DAY CUSTODIAN FOR LA MESA SPRING
VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE
CHAIRPERSON FOR CSEA'S POLITICAL
ACTION COMMITTEE, AND I SUPPORT
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M
BRAD FREELAND. I AM A LEAD
CUSTODIAN WITH WINDSOR UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALSO ON THE
PACE COMMITTEE, AND I'M IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS TROY HALL.
I'M A PARAEDUCATOR FROM THE
NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I AM IN SUPPORT OF
THIS BILL. I'M ALSO WITH THE
PACE COMMITTEE. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS LUIS DIAZ, SECRETARY
TREASURER, PRINCIPAL OFFICER OF
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 948 FROM VISALIA
AND MODESTO. AND WE'RE IN STRONG
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOVING ON
TO OPPOSITION WITNESSES. NO
OPPOSED POSITION ON. AT YOUR
CONVENIENCE.
MADAM CHAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MADAM CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS PETER
MUNOZ, AND I'M REPRESENTING THE
SILICON VALLEY LEADERSHIP GROUP,
A BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, FOR MORE
THAN 200 MEMBER COMPANIES IN THE
INNOVATION ECONOMY. MY
COUNTERPART WILL ADDRESS THE
SPECIFICS OF OUR COLLECTIVE
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. BUT I
WANTED TO SPEAK MORE BROADLY
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO
CALIFORNIA AND OUR ECONOMY. NOW,
ANY DISCUSSION OF THE DOLLARS
AND CENTS OF A POLICY SHOULD BE
GROUNDED IN QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH. AND TO THAT END, THE
LEADERSHIP GROUP RECENTLY
COMMISSIONED A STUDY IN
CONJUNCTION WITH VICTORIA
UNIVERSITY TO STUDY THE
MACROECONOMIC AND LABOR IMPACTS
OF A DISCRETE SEGMENT OF THE
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INDUSTRY.
HEAVY DUTY TRUCKING. AND WHILE
THE FINDINGS ARE THEREFORE
LIMITED TO THAT AREA, THEY ARE
NONETHELESS INSTRUCTIVE TO THE
POTENTIAL ECONOMIC GAINS THAT
ACCRUE WITH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
AS A WHOLE, AND THE REPORT FOUND
THAT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THIS TYPE
OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE WOULD
INCREASE CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY BY
6.5 TO $8 BILLION ANNUALLY, WITH
HIGHER GAINS ACCRUING WITH
EARLIER ADOPTION. MOREOVER
GREATER ADOPTION OF AVS WOULD
LEAD TO A NET INCREASE OF 2400
JOBS, BOTH AMONG SHORT HAUL
DRIVERS AS WELL AS THOSE
EMPLOYED TO MONITOR, SERVICE AND
REPAIR AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS AND
VEHICLES, AND THOSE IN ANCILLARY
SERVICE JOBS, INCLUDING
HOSPITALITY AND FOOD SERVICE.
OUR STATE CANNOT THRIVE WITHOUT
INVESTMENT IN EMERGING AND
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES. THIS
BILL CREATES A SET OF
RESTRICTIONS AND MAKES IT MORE
DIFFICULT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS
AND ENGAGE IN INNOVATION THAT IS
IMPORTANT TO OUR GLOBAL
REPUTATION AS THE LEAD FOR
TECHNOLOGY. FURTHER, WE CAN NO
LONGER AFFORD TO LET REGIONS
LIKE ARIZONA, FLORIDA AND TEXAS
USURP OUR INNOVATION, LEAD AND
SIPHON OUR WORKERS. THANK YOU.
CHAIR WILSON, MY NAME IS ARIEL
WOLF. ON BEHALF OF THE
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION. THANKS AGAIN FOR
GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY HERE
TO TESTIFY TODAY HERE IN
OPPOSITION TO AB 3061, WE'VE HAD
A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE AUTHOR
AND STAFF, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE
CURRENT VERSION OF THE BILL IS
PLANNING TO BE AMENDED. AND SO
WE LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING
THOSE AMENDMENTS. I WANT TO JUST
FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF POINTS HERE
TODAY. SO LET ME START WITH A
REMINDER THAT NEARLY 41,000
PEOPLE DIED IN TRAFFIC CRASHES
LAST YEAR. AND IN RECENT YEARS,
WE'VE SEEN INCREASES IN
FATALITIES INVOLVING LARGE
TRUCKS, PEDESTRIANS,
MOTORCYCLISTS AND DRIVERS. OVER
65 YEARS OLD. BUT ONE IMPORTANT
NOTE AND I THINK IT'S BECOMING
AN INCONVENIENT FACT HERE, BUT
IT HAS TO BE STATED, NOT A
SINGLE ONE OF THESE FATALITIES
INVOLVED AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE,
NOT A SINGLE ONE. IN FACT, AVS
HAVE BUILT A STRONG SAFETY
RECORD OVER MORE THAN A DOZEN
YEARS. THEY'VE DRIVEN NEARLY 70
MILLION MILES ON US ROADS AND
HAVE DONE SO UNDER MULTIPLE
LEGAL FRAMEWORKS THAT PROVIDE
THE PUBLIC WITH ACCESS TO DATA.
THE INDUSTRY IS COMMITTED TO
TRANSPARENCY, NOTABLY, AV
COMPANIES MUST REPORT CRASH DATA
TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION UNDER ITS
STANDING GENERAL ORDER. THIS
INCLUDES REPORTING MINOR
INCIDENTS AND THOSE CAUSED BY
HUMAN DRIVERS. THE DETAILS ARE
MADE PUBLIC ON ITS WEBSITE FOR
EVERYONE TO SEE. ALSO. AS HAS
BEEN NOTED, THE DMV COLLECTS
CRASH DATA AND DISENGAGEMENT
DATA, AND THE CPUC ALSO COLLECTS
DATA ON AUTONOMOUS RIDE HAILING
SERVICES. SO WE'LL LOOK AT THE
AMENDMENTS, AS I NOTED, BUT THE
BILL AS WRITTEN WOULD ADD
ANOTHER REPORTING STRUCTURE WITH
WITH VAGUE TERMS AS CURRENTLY
WRITTEN THAT WOULD CREATE
CONFUSION AND IMPOSE UNNECESSARY
BURDENS ON COMPANIES THAT ARE
ALREADY PROVIDING THIS
INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. AND
THEN LASTLY, ON THE BILL WOULD
CREATE OR WOULD HAVE CREATED A
REPORTING PROCESS THAT GIVES ANY
MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, ANY MEMBER
OF THE PUBLIC, THE POWER TO
FORCE THE DMV. I GUESS IN THIS
SHIFTING TO THE DISCRETION FOR
THE DMV TO SUSPEND THE AV
COMPANY'S PERMIT BASED ON A
REPORT, AND THAT WOULD BE
PENDING AN INVESTIGATION INTO
WHETHER A REPORT IS EVEN
CREDIBLE. SO THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT,
AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE AUTHOR
ON THE LANGUAGE, IN ITS CURRENT
FORM, HOWEVER, WE WOULD
RESPECTFULLY ENCOURAGE THE
COMMITTEE TO VOTE AGAINST AB
3061. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
MOVING TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY, ME
TO COMMENTS. THOSE THAT ARE,
NOTING NAME, POSITION AND
ORGANIZATION. MADAM CHAIR
MEMBERS TIM TAYLOR REPRESENTING
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
INDEPENDENT BUSINESS AND THE
COLLISION CHAMBER IN OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU. KURT AUGUSTINE,
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT
AFFAIRS FOR THE ALLIANCE FOR
AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION. WE OPPOSE
THE BILL, BUT DO LOOK FORWARD TO
REVIEWING THE AMENDMENTS. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. PHIL
VERMEULEN, REPRESENTING THE
COALITION OF SMALL AND DISABLED
VETERAN BUSINESSES AND THE
FLASHER BARRICADE ASSOCIATION IN
OPPOSITION TO THE MEASURE. THANK
YOU. ROBERT SINGLETON WITH
CHAMBER OF PROGRESS ALSO
RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED, BUT DO
APPRECIATE THE AMENDMENTS TO
MAKE THE SUSPENSION PROCESS
DISCRETIONARY OR MANDATORY. DEAN
TAYLOR WITH THE CALIFORNIA
MANUFACTURERS TECHNOLOGY
ASSOCIATION, RESPECTFULLY
OPPOSED. GOOD AFTERNOON. MIKE
WILLIAMS HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA DELIVERY ASSOCIATION.
RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS.
JOSE TORRES WITH TECHNET,
RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED. GOOD
AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MICHAEL ZARAGOZA ON BEHALF OF
LATIN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, IN
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, DOUG KESSLER ON
BEHALF OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY
YEMEN SOCIETY. WE'RE OPPOSED TO
THE BILL. JESSICA GONZALEZ WITH
THE FOR THE ORGANIZATION OUT OF,
CENTRAL VALLEY. AND WE OPPOSE
THIS BILL. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MARCUS GÓMEZ, SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER AND VICE CHAIR OF THE
CALIFORNIA HISPANIC CHAMBER WITH
125 CHAMBER MEMBERS THROUGHOUT
CALIFORNIA, STRONGLY OPPOSE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. ALEX TORRES WITH,
BROWNSTEIN, ON BEHALF OF THE BAY
AREA COUNCIL IN OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU. MOVING TO MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE WHO HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS?
BERMAN THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
AND I THINK MY COMMENTS ARE KIND
OF FOR THIS BILL AND FOR THE
EARLIER, BILL FROM OUR
COLLEAGUE, THAT, IT WAS IT'S
BEEN MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES
THAT, THAT 4200 PEOPLE IN
CALIFORNIA HAVE DIED EVERY YEAR
FROM, FROM VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.
THAT'S THAT'S 350 A MONTH,
THAT'S ABOUT 80 A WEEK. THAT'S
12, 12 PEOPLE A DAY, AND I THINK
THE NUMBERS ARE SO BIG THAT
WE'VE GOTTEN DESENSITIZED TO IT
AS A SOCIETY, AND I HAD GOTTEN
DESENSITIZED TO IT AS A SOCIETY,
AND THEN ABOUT 15 MONTHS AGO,
TWO HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS OF MINE
WERE KILLED, IN A CAR ACCIDENT,
AND THEIR LITTLE GIRLS WERE IN
THE BACK SEAT, AND SURVIVED.
AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T
THINK, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
TECHNOLOGY WOULD HAVE SAVED
THEM. THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT OF
TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE BEING
INVESTIGATED FOR STREET RACING.
SO I DON'T THINK AVS ANYTIME
SOON WOULD CHANGE THAT, BUT I
SAW SO CLEARLY AND PERSONALLY
THE IMPACT THAT THIS HAS, THE
IMPACT THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE
DEATHS THAT WE'VE BECOME
DESENSITIZED TO, HAS ON ON
FAMILIES, ON LOVED ONES, ON
COMMUNITIES, THAT'S JUST
DEVASTATING, AND SO THAT'S WHY I
AM A SUPPORTER OF AV TECHNOLOGY,
AND I'M EXCITED BY THE POTENTIAL
OF AV TECHNOLOGY. THE JOBS ARE
GREAT, ALTHOUGH I HAVE
SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THE
IMPACT THAT IT WILL ALSO HAVE ON
JOBS. AND I'VE TALKED TO THE
INDUSTRY A LOT ABOUT THE NEED TO
DO MORE TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT
IT'S THE SAFETY ISSUES. IT'S THE
LIVES THAT CAN BE SAVED THAT
MATTER THE MOST TO ME, AND SO I
AM VERY WARY OF BILLS THAT, THAT
I WORRY, ARE REALLY GOING TO
STIFLE THE TECHNOLOGY AND STIFLE
THE ABILITY TO SAVE THOSE LIVES,
AS QUICKLY AS AS POSSIBLE. I
DON'T THINK THIS BILL IS
INTENDED TO DO THAT. AND I'VE
HAD GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
AUTHOR, AND I'VE HAD GOOD
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL, AND I
KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR
INTENTION WITH THIS BILL, I,
THAT I AGREE WITH THEIR
INTENTIONS OF THIS BILL, WHICH
IS DATA TRANSPARENCY, MAKING
SURE THAT THAT COMPANIES ARE,
YOU KNOW, DOING THE RIGHT THING
TO MAKE SURE THAT GOVERNMENT
GETS THE INFORMATION ABOUT
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STREETS
AND SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN GET,
COMFORT WITH THIS NEW SCARY
TECHNOLOGY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE,
RIGHTFULLY HAVE HAVE ANXIETY
ABOUT. I THINK THE AMENDMENTS
THAT THAT ARE BEING TAKEN DO A,
DO A GOOD JOB OF KIND OF GETTING
THE BILL IN A BETTER DIRECTION
IN TERMS OF, OF, TAKING OUT KIND
OF PARTS OF THE BILL THAT THAT I
THINK WOULD UNNECESSARILY IMPACT
INDUSTRY, I'M NOT QUITE THERE
YET, AND SO I'M GOING TO LAY OFF
TODAY, BUT I DO REALLY HOPE TO
SUPPORT THIS BILL SOON, AND I
WANT TO ENCOURAGE INDUSTRY TO
KEEP ON WORKING WITH THE AUTHOR,
ON THESE ISSUES. THE REALITY IS,
AND I'VE SAID THIS TO INDUSTRY A
LOT OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS,
IS ONE BAD ACTOR IS GOING TO
RUIN THE WHOLE THING, AND THAT'S
WHAT HAPPENED, WITH, WITH A
COMPANY LAST YEAR, AND AN
INCIDENT IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE
REACTION TO THAT. IT'S A, IT'S A
REASONABLE ONE TO WANT TO GET
MORE DATA, WANT TO GET MORE
TRANSPARENCY, WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT, COMPANIES ARE REPORTING,
WHEN NEGATIVE INCIDENTS HAPPEN,
WHETHER IT'S DURING THE TESTING
PHASE OR AFTER THE TESTING PHASE
, SO I SUPPORT A LOT OF THE
CONCEPTS OF THIS BILL. I LOOK
FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY BEING ABLE
TO SUPPORT THE BILL SOON, BUT
I'M NOT NOT COMFORTABLE
SUPPORTING IT TODAY. THANKS ALL
RIGHT, HOOVER? YEAH. I JUST WANT
TO ALIGN MYSELF, WITH THE
COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE, I
THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE BILLS ARE
REALLY TOUGH BECAUSE WE
OBVIOUSLY, I THINK ALL OF US
WANT OUR ROADS TO BE SAFER, MY
OWN MOTHER HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN
TWO MAJOR ACCIDENTS IN HER LIFE
WHERE SOMEONE, RAN A STOP SIGN.
IN ONE CASE, THE CAR ACTUALLY
ROLLED, SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL
INJURIES. I HAPPEN TO BE IN THE
CAR FOR ONE OF THOSE, AS A
CHILD. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK I
THINK A LOT OF US ARE ARE
EXCITED ABOUT AV TECHNOLOGY,
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF BUGS THAT
NEED TO BE WORKED THROUGH. BUT
THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WE'RE WE
WANT OUR ROADS TO BE SAFER. AND
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE AUTHOR
FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING
TO WORK, ON THIS BILL AND
CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE
OPPOSITION. I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL,
THAT AV TECHNOLOGY DOES HAVE
THAT POTENTIAL TO MAKE THE ROADS
SAFER? YES. YOU KNOW WHAT? I
WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THIS BILL
IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORT AV
TECHNOLOGY AND YOU THINK IT'S
THE GREATEST THING EVER, OR YOU
HAVE CONCERNS AND ARE OPPOSED TO
IT, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AND YOU
SHOULD GET BEHIND, THE, THE
REPORTING RIGHT NOW THAT HAPPENS
TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MAKES
A LOT OF SENSE, BUT WE DON'T
HAVE ACCESS TO IT AS A STATE
WHEN WE ARE DOING THE LARGE
AMOUNT OF REGULATION. SO WHAT
WE'RE ASKING IS SIMPLY TO, TO
HAVE A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY
THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MIRRORING
THAT WITH WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO
US, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WHO
ARE ACTUALLY MANAGING OUR ROADS,
OUR CITY AND COUNTY, DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF DATA AND
INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN USE TO
KEEP EVERYONE SAFE, INCLUDING
PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW ENGAGED IN
DRIVING THE SANITATION TRUCKS,
OR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING ON
THE ROADS AND THEY'RE COMING
ACROSS REGULARLY NOW, DEPLOYED
VEHICLES THAT DON'T HAVE A
DRIVER IN IT, OUR CITIES AND
COUNTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IN
THAT SITUATION IS SAFE. SO ALSO,
AND I THINK EVERYONE CAN CAN
ACKNOWLEDGE THIS, THERE ARE SOME
STILL SOME SERIOUS TRUST ISSUES
THAT THE PUBLIC HAS THAT OUR
REGULATORS HAVE, THAT ELECTED
OFFICIALS HAVE. AND IF WE ARE
GOING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE
THERE'S ENOUGH ENOUGH TRUST IN
THIS BUILDING AND AMONG
REGULATORS, AMONG LOCAL AGENCIES
, AMONG THE PUBLIC, WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO LEAN MUCH MORE
HEAVILY INTO TRANSPARENCY AND
GET PEOPLE TO A PLACE WHERE
THEY'RE MUCH MORE BROADLY, YOU
KNOW, SUPPORTIVE IN THE WAYS
THAT YOU HOPE THAT THEY CAN BE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE
THE, THE, THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL FOR AVS AND WHAT THEY
CAN PROVIDE WITH SAFETY. AND FOR
THAT REASON, I WOULD HOPE THAT
WE CAN GET BEHIND TRANSPARENCY
AND BUILDING TRUST AND BUILDING
A REALITY WHERE THEY ACTUALLY
CAN PROVIDE THAT FOR ALL OF OUR,
OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OUR ROADS.
AND I THINK WE'RE NOT THERE YET
AS, AS YOU RECOGNIZE. AND THIS
BILL WILL HELP US GET THERE.
APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK, YOU
KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY ARE, WE HAVE
A PROCESS IN PLACE, YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE COMPANIES MENTIONED,
YOU KNOW, HAD THEIR PERMIT
PULLED AT 6 POINT, I GUESS
FEAR IS THAT IF WE PASS THIS
LEGISLATION, AT LEAST IN ITS
CURRENT FORM, AND AGAIN, I'M
GOING TO I'M WILLING TO KEEP
LOOKING AT IT AND KEEP, STAYING
UP TO DATE WITH THE AMENDMENTS.
BUT IF WE PASS THIS LEGISLATION,
AS IS, MY FEAR IS THAT WE'RE
WE'RE GOING TO BE DELAYING THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF A TECHNOLOGY
AND THE ADOPTION OF A TECHNOLOGY
THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE
LIVES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND IT
IS SOMEWHAT TELLING TO ME THAT
THE ABSENCE OF THOSE SUPPORTING
THIS LEGISLATION, THERE ARE NO
PUBLIC SAFETY GROUPS SUPPORTING
THIS INFORMATION. THERE'S NO LAW
ENFORCEMENT GROUPS SUPPORTING
THIS LEGISLATION. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, IT IS YOU KNOW, TO ME, I
THINK WE HAVE TO STRIKE THE
RIGHT BALANCE AS A LEGISLATURE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS BILL
STRIKES THAT BALANCE YET, WE'LL
CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP AN
EYE ON IT, BUT IT WON'T BE ABLE
TO SUPPORT IT TODAY. THANK YOU.
VICE CHAIR DAVIES. THANK YOU, I
WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TAKING THE AMENDMENTS, MY,
MYSELF IN THE OFFICE HAD SOME
CONCERNS TODAY, AND A LOT OF IT
WAS, YOU KNOW, THE MANDATED
FINES AS WELL AS BASICALLY
STOPPING, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY
OF THE COMPANY TO CONTINUE
WORKING. SO PUTTING THAT UNDER
DISCRETION INSTEAD OF MAKING IT
MANDATE, I GREATLY APPRECIATE
IT. I KNOW THAT I'LL BE SEEING
THIS AND SEE AND SEE, SO I'M
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT
THIS. BUT WITH THE RIGHT, THAT
IF I DON'T SEE THESE AMENDMENTS
IN WRITING THAT I MAY CHANGE MY
VOTE. THANK YOU. I COMMIT TO YOU
THAT YOU WILL. YOU WILL SEE THEM
AND THEY WILL THEY THEY WILL
HAPPEN. AND I APPRECIATE THE
SUPPORT ON THAT. AND I
APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND AM
GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT WAS
DONE ON THE AMENDMENTS, WHICH
I'M GLAD WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS
SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT FOLKS
HAD. ALL RIGHT, NOT SEEING ANY
MORE MEMBERS WISHING TO COMMENT.
IT'S BEEN MOVED. I'LL TAKE YOU
AS A SECOND, THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS BILL FORWARD.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES HAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCE ROADWAY FATALITIES AND
COMPLETELY RESHAPE THE WAY WE
TRAVEL. AT THE SAME TIME, WE OWE
THE PUBLIC SOME SURETY THAT WE
ARE NOT PERMITTING DANGEROUS
TECHNOLOGY TO BE TESTED ON
PUBLIC ROADS WITHOUT ANY
OVERSIGHT. UNFORTUNATE EARLY DMV
REGULATIONS ONLY REQUIRE CRASH
DATA TO BE REPORTED TO THEM
WHILE A VEHICLE IS IN THE
TESTING PHASE. DMV HAS GRANTED
DEPLOYMENT PERMITS TO AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES THAT CLEARLY STILL HAVE
ISSUES, AS WE'VE ALL WITNESSED
WITH REPEATED INCIDENTS IN SAN
FRANCISCO, THE DMV CANNOT AND
SHOULD NOT BE RELYING ON PRESS
STORIES ALONE TO MONITOR CRASHES
INVOLVING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. I
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO
WORK WITH THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
INDUSTRY ON REMOVING ITEMS FROM
THE BILL THAT ARE EITHER VAGUE
OR UNFAIR, AS THIS BILL MOVES
FORWARD, PLEASE CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH THE INDUSTRY AS YOU HAVE
WITH COMMITTEE STAFF. I WILL BE
SUPPORTING YOUR BILL TODAY.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY
AGUIAR-CURRY AND SECONDED BY
LOWENTHAL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR
VOTE. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY WITH
THAT, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL AB 3061. THE
MOTION IS Dð PASSED TO THE
COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND
CONVEYANCE. WILSON. WILSON. AYE.
DAVIES. DAVIES AYE.
AGUIAR-CURRY. AYE. BERMAN
BERMAN. NOT VOTING. CARRILLO
CARILLO I HART. ART. I. HOOVER
HOOVER. NO. JACKSON JACKSON. I.
LOWENTHAL. LOWENTHAL. I PAPPIN
HAPPEN I SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ. NOT
VOTING. SING. SING I WALLACE
WALLACE I WARD WICKS. TEN ONE,
WE'LL HOLD THE ROLL OPEN FOR
OTHER MEMBERS TO ADD ON. ALL
RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON
TO ITEM NUMBER 12 AB 2401 TÍNH
TO THE AUTHOR AT YOUR
CONVENIENCE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST,
LET ME JUST THANK YOU. AND THE
COMMITTEE FOR YOUR HELP ON THE
BILL. ALSO, WE COMMIT TO
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CARB TO
FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE ON THE
BILL, TO DAN PRESENTING AB 2401,
WHICH IS CODIFYING CLEAN CARS
FOR ALL, INTO STATE LAW. IT
ALSO, CODIFIES THE RECENTLY
EXPANDED PROGRAM PLUS REQUIRES
DATA COLLECTION TO ALLOW FOR
MORE TARGETED OUTREACH TO MORE
LOWER INCOME CALIFORNIANS. AND
THEN LASTLY, WE WANT TO ASK CARB
TO LOOK AT INCREASING INCENTIVE
TO DRIVERS WHO ARE DRIVING THE
OLDEST CARS AND DRIVING THE
LARGEST DISTANCES. WITH THAT, I
HAVE TWO. WE HAVE ONE WITNESS,
MR. RAMON PARTIDA WITH
GREENLINING INSTITUTE, AND ALSO
TOM KNOX IS HERE, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF VALLEY. CAN'T ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS. SO MR. PARTIDA,
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM
CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M RAMON LOPEZ, SENIOR LEGAL
COUNSEL FOR TRANSPORTATION
EQUITY AT THE GREENLINING
INSTITUTE AND CO-SPONSORS OF
2401. WE'RE AN ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATION BASED IN OAKLAND,
CALIFORNIA, FOCUSED ON DRIVING
INVESTMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INTO FORMERLY REDLINED
COMMUNITIES. AS THE STATE
RECENTLY SURPASSED THE 1.5
MILLION EV MARK AND IS ON THE
PATH TO MEET THE 5 MILLION EVS
BY 2035. HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF
THESE VEHICLES AND INCENTIVES
HAVE YET TO REACH THOSE THAT
SEEK TO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM
THESE LIMITED STATE RESOURCES.
LOW INCOME AND DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO FACE
SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO EV
ADOPTION AND CONTINUE TO BEAR
THE BRUNT OF AIR POLLUTION. OUR
RECENT REPORT, COAUTHORED BY
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS,
FOUND THAT PRE 2004 VEHICLES
EMIT ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MUCH
SMOG, FORMING NOX POLLUTION AS
DO ALL 2004 AND LATER VEHICLES
COMBINED, EVEN THOUGH OLDER
PASSENGER VEHICLES MAKE UP ONLY
19% OF THOSE IN THE STATE AND
12% OF MILES DRIVEN, THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR 7,073% OF ALL
NOX FROM PASSENGER VEHICLES,
COLTURA REPORT FOUND THAT IN
CALIFORNIA, THE TOP 20% OF
DRIVERS IN TERMS OF THEIR
GASOLINE USE ARE USING 55% OF
THE GASOLINE. THE EXISTING
BUDGET DEFICIT HAS PUT MORE
PRESSURE ON MAKING SURE THAT WE
MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS PROVIDED
BY STATE RESOURCES. WE CAN DO
THIS BY BEING MORE INTENTIONAL
AND TARGETED ON WHO WE REACH
WITH THESE INCENTIVES. THIS IS
WHY IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE
MODERNIZE THIS PROGRAM VIA 2401.
EVEN THOUGH CLEAN CARS FOR ALL
ALREADY TARGETS LOWER INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS IN BLACK ZIP CODES,
THIS BILL UPDATES AND IMPROVES
THE GUIDELINES BY HAVING CARB
PRIORITIZED LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS. I LIVE WITHIN
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES,
CENSUS TRACTS THAT DRIVE A PRE
2004 20 YEAR OLD VEHICLE AND
DRIVE LONG DISTANCES. THIS WILL
ENSURE THAT WE DON'T LEAVE ANY
COMMUNITY BEHIND AND THAT WE
PROVIDE THE MUCH NEEDED AIR
QUALITY AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS,
GREENLINING, ALONG WITH OUR
PARTNERS UCS COLTURA COALITION
FOR CLEAN AIR AND VALLEY, CAN
RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AND I WILL
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK
YOU. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY. ME TOO. NAME,
POSITION AND ORGANIZATION. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS KIM
STONE OF STONE ADVOCACY ON
BEHALF OF COLTURA, A PROUD AND
ENTHUSIASTIC CO-SPONSOR. EDDIE
ROMERO, ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITIES
FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT
RACCOLTA, ENERGY AND GREEN
LATINOS AND STRONG SUPPORT.
SOPHIA FUQUA WITH THE COALITION
FOR CLEAN AIR AND SUPPORT. ON
BEHALF OF STREETS FOR ALL IN
SUPPORT. SANTIAGO SANTIAGO
RODRIGUEZ WITH CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS IN SUPPORT.
MICHELLE CANALES, UNION OF
CONCERNED SCIENTISTS PROUD
CO-SPONSOR IN SUPPORT. CATHERINE
BORG WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
EDISON SUPPORT. MARGIE LIU,
SAMSON ADVISORS ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA NEW CAR DEALERS
ASSOCIATION IN STRONG SUPPORT.
JULIE MALINOWSKI, ON BEHALF OF
THE CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC
TRANSPORTATION COALITION IN
SUPPORT SAVANNAH JORGENSEN,
LUTHERAN OFFICE OF PUBLIC
POLICY, CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT.
ALL RIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY
OPPOSITION ON FILE, BUT JUST TO
CONFIRM, ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS
ARE ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION
TO TESTIFY, SEEING NONE, ARE
THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
WHO WOULD LIKE TO OFFER ANY
SHORT TESTIMONY, SEEING NONE
MOVING TO COMMITTEE, SEE IF
THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS
OR COMMENTS. CHAIR DAVIS, I JUST
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND I
WOULD LOVE TO BE A COAUTHOR.
HAPPY TO ADD YOU WONDERFUL. IT'S
ALREADY DONE, THIS BILL PROVIDES
INCREASED INCENTIVES TO PEOPLE
IN DISADVANTAGED AND LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES WHO DRIVE THE
FARTHEST DISTANCES WITH THE
OLDEST, MOST POLLUTING VEHICLES.
AS WAS STATED, THEY ALSO STAND
TO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM EV
ADOPTION, BUT OFTEN HAVE THE
LEAST RESOURCES TO DO SO. THANK
YOU FOR WORKING WITH THE
COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS CONCERNS
AROUND INCREASED PAPERWORK AND
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON
POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO QUALIFY
FOR THE MEANS BASED INCENTIVES,
RECOGNIZING THAT CARB IS IN THE
PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE
STATEWIDE PROGRAM. I APPRECIATE
YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE
DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT
IMPLEMENTATION. AS THE BILL
MOVES FORWARD. I WILL BE
SUPPORTING THIS BILL TODAY. WE
HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY
DAVIES. CHAIR DAVIES AND A
SECOND BY HOOVER. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? JUST RESPECTFULLY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM
SECRETARY. AB 2401 Dð PASS TO
THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES. WILSON HI. WILSON.
AYE. DAVIES. DAVIES. I
AGUIAR-CURRY AGUIAR-CURRY I
BERMAN. BERMAN I CARILLO CARILLO
I HEART, HEART I HOOVER. HOOVER
I JACKSON JACKSON I LOWENTHAL
LOWENTHAL I PAPPIN HAPPEN I
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ I TING SINGH I
WALLACE WALLACE I WARD WICKS.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S 13 AND WE'LL
LEAVE THE ROLL OPEN. AND FOR
MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON
, WITH THAT WE'RE MOVING TO ITEM
13 AB 2583. BERMAN AT YOUR
CONVENIENCE. A WALLACE AND DAVIS
GOT THAT RIGHT THAT TIME. RIGHT.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO
BEGIN BY THANKING THE CHAIR AND
YOUR COMMITTEE STAFF FOR WORKING
WITH MY OFFICE ON AMENDMENTS
EARLY ON TO GET THE BILL TO THE
PLACE IT IS TODAY. I'VE HEARD
FROM TOO MANY PARENTS CONCERNED
ABOUT CLOSE CALLS IN FRONT OF
SCHOOLS, OR TRAGICALLY, CHILDREN
BEING HIT BY CARS AND SERIOUSLY
INJURED OR EVEN KILLED. IN FACT,
AN EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY WAS HIT
AND KILLED BY A DRIVER WHILE
WALKING IN A SCHOOL ZONE
CROSSWALK TO HIS ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL IN MY DISTRICT IN 2022,
JACOB WAS ONE OF FAR TOO MANY
STUDENTS KILLED OR INJURED, JUST
TRYING TO GET TO SCHOOL. I'VE
SEEN FIRSTHAND THE ENDURING
GRIEF THAT AN ACCIDENT LIKE THIS
LEAVES WITH A COMMUNITY. I WAS
SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE
OF DEATH FOR SCHOOL AGED
CHILDREN IN CALIFORNIA. LET ME
SAY THAT AGAIN. TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE
OF DEATH FOR SCHOOL AGED
CHILDREN IN CALIFORNIA. SCHOOL
ZONES SHOULD BE SAFE HAVENS FOR
ALL CALIFORNIANS. THAT'S WHY I'M
AUTHORING AB 2583 TO UPDATE OUR
POLICIES TO ADVANCE SCHOOL ZONE
SAFETY. PUTTING KIDS AND ADULTS
WELL-BEING FIRST SCHOOL ZONE
SIGNS IN CALIFORNIA, LOWER THE
SPEED LIMIT WHEN CHILDREN ARE
PRESENT, WHICH IS A STANDARD
HOLD ON ONE SECOND. YEAH. SORRY.
SCHOOL ZONE SIGNS IN CALIFORNIA
LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT WITH IN
QUOTES WHEN CHILDREN ARE
PRESENT. THAT'S WHAT THE SIGN
SAYS, WHICH IS A STANDARD THAT
IS DIFFICULT FOR DRIVERS TO KNOW
HOW TO COMPLY WITH, DIFFICULT TO
ENFORCE, AND DOES NOT
APPROPRIATELY PROTECT PARENTS,
CAREGIVERS, TEACHERS OR SCHOOL
EMPLOYEES. DRIVERS SHOULDN'T
HAVE TO ASK THEMSELVES WHETHER
SOMEONE LOOKS LIKE A CHILD TO
START SLOWING DOWN. THAT'S WHY
ONLY SIX OTHER STATES MANDATE
THE USE OF, QUOTE, WHEN CHILDREN
ARE PRESENT. LANGUAGE AB 2583
ALIGNS CALIFORNIA WITH THE
MAJORITY OF OTHER STATES,
INCLUDING NEW YORK, TEXAS,
OREGON, AND MICHIGAN BY
UTILIZING SET TIME FRAMES. WITH
THIS CHANGE TO TIME FRAMES FOR
THE SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT WILL
ACHIEVE HIGHER COMPLIANCE WITH
THE LAW, WHICH IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT FOR STUDENT SAFETY. AB
2583 THE SAFER SCHOOL ZONES ACT
WILL ALSO LOWER SCHOOL ZONE
SPEED LIMITS TO 20MPH OR LESS.
OF THE 39 STATES THAT SET A
MAXIMUM SCHOOL ZONE SPEED BY
STATUTE, CALIF IS ONE OF JUST
NINE STATES IN THE COUNTRY WITH
A SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT.
GREATER THAN 20MPH. I'M SO PROUD
TO HAVE THE CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS SUPPORT THIS BILL AS
AS WELL AS MANY OTHER, GREAT
ORGANIZATIONS, AS AB 2583 WILL
PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF EVERY
CHILD WALKING AND BIKING TO
SCHOOL. I'M COMMITTED TO
CONTINUING TO WORK WITH
STAKEHOLDERS ON THE TIMELINE FOR
THE BILL'S IMPLEMENTATION, AND I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE
. AND WITH ME TODAY ARE MARK
VOIGTS VUKOVICH, DIRECTOR OF
STATE POLICY WITH STREETS FOR
ALL, AND GLORIA HUERTA, A BUS
DRIVER AND CUSTODIAN FROM THE
CUTLER-OROSI JOINT UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT IN FRESNO. GOOD
AFTERNOON. COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS
MARK VUKOVICH, DIRECTOR OF STATE
POLICY FOR STREETS FOR ALL,
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE BILL. AND
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE
SIMPLE FACT THAT THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBER LAID OUT TRAFFIC VIOLENCE
IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH
FOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOL AGED
CHILDREN. MORE THAN DISEASE,
MORE THAN GUNS, MORE THAN
DROWNING. IT'S GETTING HIT BY A
CAR. AND FOR CONTEXT, THE
SOCIETAL COST OF CAR CRASHES IS
MORE THAN THE COST OF WILDFIRES.
IT'S MORE THAN THE COST OF
CANCER. IT'S PEDESTRIAN DEATHS
IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE SHOT UP 77%
SINCE 2010, AND IT'S EVEN WORSE
IN CALIFORNIA. AND THAT FACT I
MENTIONED EARLIER, TRAFFIC
VIOLENCE IS ACTUALLY THE NUMBER
ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR ALL
PEOPLE FROM THE AGE OF 5 TO 44
YEARS OLD. AND THAT FACT ALIGNS
WITH OUR INTENT. SCHOOLS ARE
COMMUNITY HUBS WHERE CHILDREN,
PARENTS, CROSSING GUARDS,
TEACHERS, GRANDPARENTS ALL
COEXIST IN AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. BUT ONE OF THE
PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT SCHEMA
IS IT RELIES ON, QUOTE, WHEN
CHILDREN ARE PRESENT, THAT
STANDARD IS VAGUE. CHP DOESN'T
LIKE THE STANDARD. THERE ARE
LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS. IF YOU
INTERVIEW THE SAME DEPARTMENT,
EVERY DIFFERENT POLICE OFFICER
WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER OF
WHAT IT MEANS. THIS LEADS TO AN
UNCOMFORTABLE MESS. IT ALSO
DOESN'T PROTECT PEOPLE LIKE 72
YEAR OLD, PONCHO RIOS, WHO DIED
IN DINUBA. HE DIED WHILE GETTING
HIT BY A CAR WHEN HE PUSHED HIS
DAUGHTER OUT OF THE WAY TO SAVE
HER GRANDDAUGHTER, OUT OF THE
WAY TO SAVE HER. SO WHAT WE ARE
PROPOSING IS A TIME BASED
STANDARD AND LOWERING THE SCHOOL
ZONE SPEED LIMIT. TEXAS AND
NEVADA RECENTLY CHANGED THIS
BECAUSE IT LED TO A HIGHER
COMPLIANCE WITHIN THE SCHOOL
ZONE. YOU WILL NOTE THAT OUR
BILL IS NOT A LOCAL CONTROL BILL
. IT IS A STATE MANDATE. BUT I
WANT YOU EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT
WE SEE THIS AS AN ESSENTIAL
PIECE BY CREATING A STANDARD
THAT IS THE SAME FROM THE STATE
IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL ZONE. WE
ARE NOT RELYING ON PEOPLE TO
LOOK AT SIGNAGE OR WHETHER THERE
IS A CHILD THERE OR NOT. WE'RE
TRYING TO ESTABLISH A NEW NORM
AT A STATE LEVEL TO SAVE LIVES
FROM. WHETHER YOU'RE IN SHASTA
COUNTY TO SAN DIEGO COUNTY, THAT
YOU KNOW THAT BEFORE AND AFTER
SCHOOL, YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN. I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS GLORIA HUERTA AND I
AM A CLASSIFIED SCHOOL EMPLOYEE
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY A BUS
DRIVER CUSTODIAN WITH THE
CUTLER-OROSI JOINT UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TULARE COUNTY
. CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES ARE THE
SUPPORT STAFF WHO KEEP OUR
SCHOOLS RUNNING AND KEEP OUR
STUDENTS SAFE. BUT SAFETY BEGINS
BEFORE OUR KIDS EVEN SET FOOT ON
CAMPUS. STUDENTS, PARENTS AND
STAFF COME AND GO TO SCHOOL
EVERY DAY, AND CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYEES PUT THEMSELVES IN THE
MIDDLE OF A CROSSWALK TO HELP
ENSURE ALL STUDENTS CAN, ACROSS
THE STREET SAFELY. BUT THE
CURRENT SPEED LIMIT OF 25MPH IS
TOO FAST WHEN APPROACHING OR
PASSING A SCHOOL AND LEAVING IT
UP TO THE DRIVERS TO DETERMINE
IF CHILDREN ARE PRESENT OR ARE
PRESENT IS TOO SUBJECTIVE. BY
THE TIME SOMEONE DRIVING AT
25MPH CAN SEE A SMALL CHILD, IT
IS TOO LATE FOR THEM TO STOP
REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT TO AT
LEAST 20MPH, WITH THE OPTIONS
FOR CITIES TO LOWER IT TO 15MPH.
CLEARLY DEFINING THE HOURS IT IS
IN EFFECT AND ESTABLISHING A
SAFE PERIMETER AROUND A SCHOOL
WILL CREATE A MUCH SAFER
ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
PARENTS AND SCHOOL STAFF. JUST
THIS YEAR, I RECEIVED LIKE THREE
TEXT MESSAGES FROM OUR SCHOOL
SITE OF THREE SEPARATE
ACCIDENTS, TWO OF TWO CHILDREN,
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THAT GOT HIT
BY A CAR, AND ONE OF A HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT CROSSING IN THE
CROSSWALK IN FRONT OF OUR
SCHOOLS. THAT IS WHY
CALIFORNIA'S CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYEES ARE ASKING YOU TO
SUPPORT AB 2583. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. MOVING TO MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO
OFFER ME TWO COMMENTS. NAME,
POSITION AND ORGANIZATION. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS
JENNY WALLER REPRESENTING CAL
BIKE IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
DOWNLOAD WITH THE CALIFORNIA
SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL. HI,
MY NAME IS DAVID KHN. I'M A
RETIRED A TECHNOLOGY TECHNICIAN
FROM THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE
OF EDUCATION, ALSO A MEMBER OF
THE CSA PACE COMMITTEE. I'M ALSO
A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AT A SMALL
TOWN CALLED GREENFIELD. I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
MACDONALD I'M A PARENT EDUCATOR
FOR BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND A MOTHER OF A SOON
TO BE TECH, AND I SUPPORT THIS
BILL. MY NAME IS CHERYL
MCDONALD. I AM WITH CSEA AND
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND A
MEMBER OF BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND I AM A SUPPORTER OF
THIS BILL. BRAD FREELAND, STILL
A LEAD CUSTODIAN, FROM WINDSOR
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. MY
SCHOOL HAS 1400 STUDENTS, AND
I'M OUT THERE IN THE CROSSWALK
EVERY DAY. AND IT'S SCARY. SO I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL. MEB
STEINER, SPECIAL EDUCATION
PARAEDUCATOR IN PALO ALTO
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALSO ON
THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF
CSEA PARENT AND GRANDPARENT. AND
I AM VERY, VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT
THIS BILL. STRONGLY SUPPORT IT.
HI, I'M STAR AVILA, I'M PART OF
THE PACE COMMITTEE FOR CSEA, AND
I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
RICHARD ALVAREZ WITH THE PARIS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT,
CSEA'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBER STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS
BILL. TROY HALL, PARA EDUCATOR,
NEWPORT MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT, ALSO MEMBER,
PARTICIPANT OF PACE COMMITTEE,
STRONGLY SUPPORTING THIS BILL.
GOOD AFTERNOON. HECTOR MUNOZ,
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT TECHNICIAN
FROM THE YUBA COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION. I'M ALSO ON CSEA'S
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE STRONGLY
SUPPORTING THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON. I'M SEAN KATZ. I'M A
CAMPUS SAFETY FOR NEWPORT-MESA
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I'M
ALSO ON THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND I'M
STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. MY NAME IS STILL
MARIO BOJORQUEZ, AND I'M A
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANT WITH
THE VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT WHO WORKS WITH AMAZING
SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. AND I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
ANDREA VARNEY, CSCA, CHAPTER 725
I'M WITH MY SISTER HERE, GLORIA,
AND SUPPORTING THIS BILL, MY I
SAW A POLICE OFFICER AS A
SHERIFF SITTING. YOU HAVE TO
LIMIT IT JUST TO EXCUSE ME.
THANK YOU MA'AM. POSITION EDITH
WILLIAMS KERN HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT STAFF Tê SECRETARY. I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL. I
HAVE PARENTS CALLING ME EVERY
DAY FOR HOMEWORK FOR STUDENTS.
THANK. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME
IS VERONICA PENA. I AM A CHILD
DEVELOPMENT TEACHER WITH EL
MONTE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. I
ALSO PART OF THE PACE COMMITTEE,
AND I SUPPORT THIS BILL. HELLO,
MY NAME IS VALERIE VARGAS. I'M
WITH CSCA PACE COMMITTEE AND I
ALSO SUPPORT THIS BILL. BRITTANY
CLARK, HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA
CLERK FOR ORESTIMBA HIGH AND
NEWMAN, ROSELAND UNIFIED AND
PROUD MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF THIS
BILL. REGINALD ROBINSON, ROLLING
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DRIVER
TRAINER AND I SUPPORT THIS BILL
AND WE ARE GREAT. HI, GLORIA, MY
NAME IS JOHN SULLIVAN, CSEA PACE
COMMITTEE, DAY CUSTODIAN FOR LA
MESA SPRING VALLEY. AND I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
HELLO, MY NAME IS STEVE LOPEZ.
I'M A ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN FOR
GARVEY SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALSO
THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSON FOR CSCA, AND I AM
IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. THANK
YOU. ALL RIGHT, MOVING. I THINK
THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION. OH,
WAIT. NO THERE IS. I JUST SAW
OPPOSED UNLESS AMENDED BRINGING
FORWARD, FOR TESTIMONY. SORRY
ABOUT THAT.
THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE. JAY BIEBER,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAFER
STREETS, LA. MEMBER, INSTITUTE
OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS, WE
REGRETFULLY HAVE TO OPPOSE THIS
BILL AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
OAN, WE AGREE WITH A NUMBER OF
THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE BILL,
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXPANSIVE
NATURE OF THE HOURS OF THE
SCHOOL ZONES THAT ARE BEING
PROPOSED HERE, WE BELIEVE WILL
ACTUALLY MAKE SCHOOL ZONES LESS
SAFE. AND THE REASON IS THAT
THOSE HOURS WILL WILL, CAUSE
SCHOOL ZONES TO BE IN EFFECT
WHEN CHILDREN ARE NOT LIKELY TO
BE PRESENT. AND WHAT WE WANT TO
DO WITH SCHOOL ZONES IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE SCHOOL ZONE IS
ACTIVE WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE
CONGREGATING TO THE SCHOOL,
COMING TO THE SCHOOL, ONE OF THE
MOST, COMPREHEND OF STUDIES ON
SCHOOL ZONE SPEED ZONES WAS
CONDUCTED BY THE TEXAS
TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE, WHICH
DETERMINED THAT THE MOST
EFFECTIVE TIME FOR SCHOOL ZONES
WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES
BEFORE THE SCHOOL STARTS, AND
APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER.
WHETHER THAT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT
TIME OR NOT FOR CALIFORNIA IS TO
BE IS CERTAINLY TO BE WORKED ON.
BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THREE
HOUR PERIOD BEFORE AND AFTER IS
WAY TOO EXPANSIVE AND WILL
ACTUALLY TEACH DRIVERS TO IGNORE
SCHOOL ZONES AS OPPOSED TO BE
AWARE OF CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL
ZONE. WE ALSO, AGREE WITH THE
AUTHOR AND THE PROPONENTS OF
THIS BILL THAT THE THAT THE
VAGUENESS OF THE WHEN CHILDREN
ARE PRESENT SIGN NEEDS TO BE
CORRECTED, THEIR PROPOSAL IS TO
HAVE A STATIC, TIME ON THE SIGN.
WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY
DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE
BELIEVE THAT ALL SCHOOL ZONES
SHOULD BE USING THE FLASHING
BEACONS, WHICH SAYS SCHOOL ZONE
ACTIVE WHEN FLASHING. THAT'S
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TIME
TIED SPECIFICALLY TO THE HOURS
THAT ARE AGREED UPON FOR WHEN
THE SCHOOL ZONE SHOULD BE
ACTIVE. IT COULD ALSO BE USED AT
TIMES WHEN THE SCHOOL, WHEN IT'S
NOT SPECIFICALLY A SCHOOL DAY,
BUT THERE'S A MAJOR EVENT AT THE
SCHOOL, BUT AGAIN, LIMITED TIMES
BEFORE AND AFTER THOSE EVENTS.
SO WHILE WE WOULD LOVE TO
CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE
AUTHOR, WE CANNOT SUPPORT THE
BILL AS IT IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
THANK YOU. LOOKING TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY, WHO WOULD LIKE TO
OFFER ME TWO IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? NAME, ORGANIZATION AND
POSITION? SEEING NONE, I'M
TURNING IT OVER TO MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE FOR QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. I SEE
LOWENTHAL, YEAH. THIS IS
ACTUALLY DIRECTED TO YOU, MR.
BIEBER. I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK
YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS AS
REPRESENTING SAFE STREETS LÀ
SAFER STREETS, L.A. SAFER
STREETS. LÀ, LOOKING AT YOUR
LINKEDIN PROFILE, IT SAYS THAT
YOUR DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND
RESEARCH FOR THE NATIONAL
MOTORISTS ASSOCIATION. YES,
THAT'S ALSO ONE OF MY POSITIONS.
OKAY. ARE YOU REPRESENTING THE
NATIONAL MOTORISTS? I'M
REPRESENTING SAFER STREETS L.A.
TODAY. OKAY. BECAUSE I HAVE
CONCERNS THAT THE NATIONAL MOTOR
ASSOCIATION, HAS ONGOING
OPPOSITION TO A NATIONAL SPEED
LAW TO ENCOURAGES MEMBERS TO
CHALLENGE TRAFFIC TICKETS TO
OPPOSE RED LIGHT CAMERAS, TO
OPPOSE AUTOMATED SPEED LIMIT
ENFORCEMENT, TO OPPOSE STOP ARM
CAMERAS ON SCHOOL BUSSES, TO
OPERATE A SPEED TRAP REGISTRY,
TO OPPOSE CHECKPOINTS, AND TO
OPPOSE THE USE OF BREATHALYZER
TIRES, IF THAT'S A QUESTION,
YES. THE NATIONAL MOTORS
ASSOCIATION, WHICH I'M NOT HERE
REPRESENTING AT THE MOMENT, DOES
HAVE OPPOSITION TO A NUMBER OF
THOSE THINGS. AND WE BECAUSE WE
FEEL THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS
THAT ACTUALLY MAKE ROADS SAFER
THAN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU
MENTIONED. FOR EXAMPLE,
AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT, RED LIGHT
CAMERAS AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S
I WAS GOING TO NOTE THAT THAT IS
OFF TOPIC. AND, AND SO SINCE
HE'S NOT REPRESENTING AND I'M
HAPPY AND HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT
WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME
AS TO EXACTLY WHAT THE POSITIONS
ARE AND WHY WE HAVE AND WHY WE
HOLD THOSE POSITIONS, WE BELIEVE
THAT IT'S A QUESTION OF SAFETY
AND WE CAN DISAGREE HOW YOU GET
TO SAFETY, BUT BUT WE'LL LIMIT
IT TO THE SUBJECT OF THE BILL
TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY, I
HAVE HOOVER AND WALLACE. ARE YOU
READY, THANKS FOR THE BILL.
APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL BE
SUPPORTING TODAY, JUST CURIOUS
IF YOU HAVE ANY DATA OR HAVE
SEEN ANY EVIDENCE ON. BECAUSE MY
BIG ONLY CONCERN REALLY IS
CHANGING DRIVER BEHAVIOR, RIGHT.
LIKE DRIVERS ACTUALLY ADJUSTING
TO IT. HAVE ANY OF THESE STATES
HAD ISSUES WITH THAT OR. I DON'T
KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DATA OUT
THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE
WE GOING TO TEACH DRIVERS TO
KIND OF ADJUST TO THIS CHANGE?
YEAH, I'M GOING TO DEFER TO MY
EXPERT, I'VE GOT DATA NOT AT MY
FINGERTIPS, BUT DATA DEFINITELY
SHOWS THAT STATES THAT THAT HAVE
CHANGED TO SPECIFIC TIME ZONES,
AND ESPECIALLY STATES THAT HAVE
LOWERED THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT
FROM 25 TO EITHER 20 OR 15,
DEFINITELY REDUCES IT. NOT ONLY
DOES IT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF
ACCIDENTS, BUT IT REDUCES THE
SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENTS, WHICH
IS WHICH IS PRETTY LOGICAL. SO
THERE'S DEFINITELY DATA, DEFER
TO MY EXPERT. YES.
ASSEMBLYMEMBERS. SO THE, THE
PROBABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
STATE HAS BEEN NEVADA, WHICH DID
DID THIS VERY RECENTLY. AND
THEY'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF SUCCESS IN THAT SHIFT OF BOTH
THE LOWERING OF SCHOOL ZONE
SPEED LIMIT AND THE TIME BASED
STANDARD, AND NEVADA BEING THE
KIND OF THE STATE ANSWER TO YOUR
QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE
RESEARCH AND TO YOUR QUESTION,
THE NHTSA SHOWS THAT LOWERING
THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT REDUCES
AND IT'S NOT PROPORTIONAL. I
DON'T I DON'T WANT TO GIVE
ANYONE THE IMPRESSION THAT BY
LOWERING FIVE MILES PER HOUR,
EVERY DRIVER IS GOING TO REDUCE
FIVE MILES PER HOUR. BUT EVEN
THE SPEED THAT IS REDUCED MAKES
A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE FOR
SAFETY, I ALSO HAVE A STUDY FROM
THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF TRAFFIC
ENGINEERS, WHICH IT'S IN
KILOMETERS PER HOUR, BUT JUST
ALSO REDUCED THAT REDUCTION ALSO
LED TO A 45% REDUCTION IN
COLLISIONS AS WELL. SO
EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS
INCREDIBLY RESEARCH BACKED. AND
THAT WAS THAT WAS WHAT WE WORKED
WITH THE COMMITTEE ON IN TERMS
OF MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE
INTERROGATING THE RESEARCH AND
EVEN INTERROGATING THE STUDY
THAT MR. BIEBER MENTIONED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE WERE
DOING IS APPLICABLE TO
CALIFORNIA. WITH THE RESEARCH
BACKING. RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR, THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY
QUESTION, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK
THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD. I'D LIKE TO, REQUEST TO
BE ADDED AS A COAUTHOR, IF
THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU. TÍNH. YEAH. JUST QUICK,
QUICK QUESTION TO MR. BIEBER,
ONE OF THE I GUESS YOU CITED
THIS STUDY, IN YOUR TESTIMONY,
WHAT YEAR WAS THAT STUDY DONE?
I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THE
YEAR, BUT IT'S FAIRLY RECENT. I
BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE EARLY 20
TENS, AND I ACTUALLY HAD A LOT
OF CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHORS
OF THAT STUDY, AND, AND AGAIN, I
APPRECIATE WHAT HE WAS SAYING,
THAT THIS STUDY LOOKED AT
EVERYTHING AND IT SAID WE THINK
THE BEST TIMES, THREE, 30
MINUTES BEFORE, 30 MINUTES
AFTER, IT COULD BE 45 MINUTES,
COULD BE AN HOUR, COULD BE JUST
WHEN THE CROSSING GUARDS ARE
THERE. THAT'S THAT'S WHEN THE
SCHOOL ZONE SHOULD BE ACTIVE.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T DISAGREE
WITH THE PREMISE. IT'S JUST THE
EXPANSIVENESS. WE'RE JUST AFRAID
THAT IT WOULD CAUSE DISRESPECT
WHEN IT'S TOO MUCH. AND THAT'S
AND THAT'S WHAT. AND THAT'S WHAT
OUR CONCERN IS. GOT IT. SO YOUR
SO YOUR ISSUE ISN'T WITH
LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT. IT'S
WITH THE TIME AMOUNT. THE TIME
WHETHER IT'S OUR WE DIDN'T
MENTION THIS BUT AS LONG AS YOU
ASKED, WE DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN
IT'S ON VERY, VERY LARGE, LIKE
ARTERIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT
IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE ON SMALL
ROADWAYS AROUND SCHOOLS AND
NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AND, AND
THAT SORT OF THING. AND THAT'S
WHAT THE VEHICLE CODE DOES SAY.
YOU CAN LOWER IT TO 15 MILES AN
HOUR WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S A
IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET AND
CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT. AGAIN,
THE TÊ STUDY WHAT, SUGGESTED THE
SPEED LIMITS BASED ON THE TYPE
OF STREET IT WAS, AS OPPOSED TO
JUST A BLANKET NUMBER, BUT
WASN'T SOMETHING WE WERE GOING
TO GET INTO TODAY. OUR MAIN
CONCERN IS THE EXPANSIVE HOURS
AND CAUSING DISRESPECT AND
ACTUALLY USING THE FLASHING
BEACONS AS OPPOSED TO A STATIC
NUMBER OF THE SIGN, WHICH IS
WHICH IS KIND OF INFLEXIBLE. GOT
IT. BUT LIKE IN MY CITY, SAN
FRANCISCO, ONE OF THE MAIN
ISSUES WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS
SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN, BECAUSE WE
FIND THAT THE FASTER PEOPLE GO
THAT THE MORE FATALITIES, MORE
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. SO IT DOESN'T
SOUND LIKE YOU AGREE WITH THAT
KIND OF PREMISE. NO I WOULDN'T
SAY THAT AT ALL. I WOULD
ACTUALLY SAY THAT IT'S A
QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU CAN GET
COMPLIANCE ON A PARTICULAR
ROADWAY. SO THAT'S LAW
ENFORCEMENT'S JOB. SO. WELL, NO,
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WITH THE
NATURE OF THE WAY THE ROADWAY IS
BUILT. IF YOU HAVE A 55 MILE AN
HOUR ROADWAY, YOU CAN PROBABLY
GET PEOPLE TO COMPLY FOR A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME FOR A BLOCK OR
SO, WHICH IS SCHOOL ZONE. OKAY.
SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT DEBATING
THAT POINT. WE'RE JUST BASICALLY
SAYING THAT IF YOU ARE, IF YOU
HAVE THE TYPE OF THE TYPE OF
ROADWAY SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE
MORE ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE SPEED
LIMIT IS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT
ME SAYING IT. IT'S THE TÊ STUDY
THAT THAT SAID IT SHOULD BE TIED
MORE MORE TO THAT. SO IT'S NOT A
QUESTION OF ME AGREEING OR
DISAGREEING WITH ANYTHING. IT'S
A QUESTION OF WHAT THE WHAT THE
STUDY SAID. OKAY, OKAY. THANK
YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I
APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. I
DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS OR CONCERNS, WITH THAT,
THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH THE
COMMITTEE ON THE AMENDMENTS
PRIOR TO THIS BILL BEING HEARD.
THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN
WALKING TO SCHOOL IS OF THE
UTMOST IMPORTANCE. I APPRECIATE
YOUR WORK TO HELP PROVIDE CLEAR
CLARITY TO WHEN THE SCHOOL ZONE
SPEED LIMIT IS IN EFFECT, PLEASE
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CITIES TO
ENSURE THEY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY
THEY NEED TO IMPLEMENT THIS
BILL, AND CONSIDER PROVIDING
THEM WITH FLEXIBILITY TO AVOID
THIS BILL BEING CONSIDERED A
LOCAL MANDATE, I WILL BE
SUPPORTING YOUR BILL TODAY.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY
WALLACE WALLACE WITH, A SECOND
BY VICE CHAIR DAVIS. WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CLOSE JUST BRIEFLY. I
APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.
APPRECIATE THE WORK WITH THE
CHAIR AND THE COMMITTEE STAFF. I
SHOULD NOTE THAT THERE IS, LOCAL
FLEXIBILITY IN THE BILL. SO IF
LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WANT TO
CHANGE THE TIME ZONE, IT DOESN'T
HAVE TO BE 7 TO 10 AND 2 TO 5.
THEY CAN. WE HAD A CITY REACH
OUT AND SAY THEY WANT TO BE
LONGER, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE
LONGER. IT CAN BE SHORTER. 20MPH
IS THE CEILING. YOU CAN LOWER IT
TO 15MPH IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS
IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT'S
BEST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. I AGREE
THAT FLASHING BEACONS IS THE
GOLD STANDARD. IF MY FRIEND HAS
AN EXTRA BILLION OR TWO, WE CAN
GET THAT IMPLEMENTED AT EVERY
SCHOOL ACROSS THE STATE. IT
MIGHT BE MORE THAN 2 BILLION,
BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T LET THE
PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE
GOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES
TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN.
SO RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU, MADAM
SECRETARY. MAYBE 2583. THE
MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE
COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WILSON. AYE. WILSON. AYE. DAVIS
DAVIES. AYE. AGUIAR-CURRY.
AGUIAR-CURRY. AYE BERMAN.
BERMAN. AYE. CARILLO. CARILLO.
AYE. HART HART. AYE. HOOVER.
HOOVER. AYE. JACKSON JACKSON.
AYE. LOWENTHAL. LOWENTHAL. AYE.
PAPPIN PAPPIN. AYE. SANCHEZ.
SANCHEZ. AYE. TING TING. AYE.
WALLACE. WALLACE. AYE. WARD.
WARD. AYE. WICKS. WICKS. AYE ALL
RIGHT. THANK YOU. WITH THAT. OH.
SORRY. 15. THAT THAT BILL IS OUT
, WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE TO THE
TOP. FOR, ADD ONS, STARTING WITH
CONSENT, WE HAD NINE BILLS ON
CONSENT. MADAM SECRETARY BERMAN
CONSENT CALENDAR, BERMAN IS I
HOOVER. HOOVER I JACKSON.
JACKSON I SANCHEZ SANCHEZ I
WARD. WARD I WICKS WICKS I ALL
RIGHT THAT'S 15 THAT BILL. THOSE
BILLS ARE OUT MOVING ON TO ITEM
NUMBER THREE AB 2697, IRWIN
BERMAN BERMAN I HOOVER HOOVER I
JACKSON JACKSON I SANCHEZ
SANCHEZ I WARD. WARD I WICKS.
WICKS I. THAT IS 14. THAT BILL
IS OUT MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER
SEVEN AB 2815 PETRIE-NORRIS
JACKSON. JACKSON I TING. SINGH.
KING IS I WALLACE WALLACE I
WICKS. WICKS I. THAT THAT HAS 15
THAT BILL IS OUT. SO MOVING ON
TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AB 3061
HANEY. WARD. WARD I WICKS. WICKS
I. 112 ONE. THAT BILL IS OUT.
ITEM NUMBER TEN AB 3123
JONES-SAWYER JACKSON. JACKSON I
TING SINGH I WICKS. WICKS I. 11
TWO THAT BILL IS OUT ITEM NUMBER
11 AB 2286 AGUIAR-CURRY JACKSON.
JACKSON I TING SINGH I WICKS.
WICKS I. 3113 ONE THAT BILL IS
OUT. MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12
AB 20 401 TING. WARD. WARD I
WICKS. WICKS I. 1515 ZERO, THAT
BILL IS OUT. WITH THAT, THERE'S
NO FURTHER BUSINESS OF THE
COMMITTEE. THIS MEETING IS
ADJOURNED. THIS HEARING IS
ADJOURNED