(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature.
The California Clean Truck, Bus, and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program, upon appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, funds zero- and near-zero-emission truck, bus, and off-road vehicle and equipment technologies and related projects. The program provides that projects eligible for funding include, among others, technology development, demonstration, precommercial pilots, and early commercial deployments of zero- and near-zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty truck technology, and requires, until December 31, 2020, no less than 20% of funding made available for that purpose to support early commercial deployment of existing zero- and near-zero-emission heavy-duty truck technology.
This bill would extend the requirement that 20% of that funding be made available for that same purpose until December 31, 2021.
(2) Existing law creates the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. Existing law provides for the deposit of various funds, including revenues from certain fuel taxes and vehicle fees, for the program in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account. Existing law requires funds available for the program to be allocated for various specified purposes and requires the remaining funds available for the program to be continuously appropriated 50% for allocation to the Department of Transportation for maintenance of the state highway system or for the State Highway Operation and Protection Program and 50% for apportionment to cities and counties by the Controller pursuant to a specified formula.
This bill would continuously appropriate interest earnings derived from revenues deposited in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account to the department for maintenance of the state highway system or for purposes of the State Highway Operation and Protection Program.
(3) Existing law requires a vehicle to display a license plate issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles on the rear of the vehicle. Existing law requires a vehicle to display tabs upon the license plate indicating the month and year of expiration of the vehicle registration and makes it a crime to display expired tabs. Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to conduct a pilot program, to be limited to no more than 0.5 percent of registered vehicles, to be completed no later than January 1, 2021, to evaluate the use of alternatives to stickers, tabs, license plates, and registration cards, subject to certain requirements, and if the department conducts a pilot program, requires the department to submit a report of the results of the pilot program, as specified, to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2020.
This bill would extend the authorization for the Department of Motor Vehicles to complete the pilot program to January 1, 2023.
(4) Existing law requires a person driving a vehicle on a freeway approaching, among other things, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is displaying emergency lights to approach with due caution and, before passing in a lane immediately adjacent to one of those specified vehicles, absent other direction by a peace officer, either proceed to make a lane change into an available lane not immediately adjacent to one of those specified vehicles, or slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of that provision an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than $50. Existing law defines a freeway, for purposes of the Vehicle Code, to mean a highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which those owners have only a limited or restricted right or easement of access. Existing law also defines a highway as a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel, and includes a street.
This bill would instead require a person driving a vehicle on a highway approaching, among other things, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is displaying emergency lights to approach with due caution and, before passing in a lane immediately adjacent to one of those specified vehicles, absent other direction by a peace officer, either proceed to make a lane change into an available lane not immediately adjacent to one of those specified vehicles, or slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions, as specified. Because this bill would expand the application of this provision from freeways to highways, it would expand the scope of an existing crime and would impose a state-mandated local program.
(5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Statutes affected:
AB2285: 21809 VEH
02/14/20 - Introduced: 21809 VEH
05/04/20 - Amended Assembly: 39719.2 HSC, 2031 SHC, 2032 SHC, 4853 VEH, 21809 VEH
AB 2285: 39719.2 HSC, 2031 SHC, 2032 SHC, 4853 VEH, 21809 VEH