Vehicle rental agreements.

Existing law governs contracts between vehicle rental companies and their customers. Existing law regulates an automobile renter's liability for loss due to theft, a rental company's loss of use, or damage or loss to a rental vehicle, a renter's credit card liability, the submission of insurance claims, damage waivers and damage waiver fees, and the notice to a renter regarding financial responsibility and optional damage waivers. This bill would, until January 1, 2014, require a rental company to accept service of process on behalf of a renter who resides out of this country for any claim related to harm, loss, or damage related to the use of the rental vehicle, if the rental company provides supplemental liability insurance coverage as part of, or associated with, the rental agreement. The bill would require that any plaintiff who elects to deliver process to the rental company pursuant to these provisions agree to limit his or her recovery against the renter or rental company to the limits of the protection provided by the insurance coverage. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1936 of the Civil Code, as proposed by SB 1192, to be operative only if SB 1192 and this bill are both enacted, each bill amends Section 1936 of the Civil Code, and this bill is enacted after SB 1192.