Vehicles: inspection of loads.

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of the California Highway Patrol to stop a vehicle transporting timber products, livestock, poultry, farm produce, crude oil, petroleum products, or inedible kitchen grease and inspect certain documents to determine whether the driver is in legal possession of the load, and, upon reasonable belief that the driver of the vehicle is not in legal possession, to take custody of the vehicle and load, as prescribed, and imposes duties on the sheriff with respect to the care and safekeeping of those products. This bill would make those provisions applicable with regard to a vehicle that is transporting metal products or metal alloy products. By imposing additional duties on a sheriff regarding the care and safekeeping of metal products and metal alloy products, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill additionally would authorize a member of a city police department and a member of the county sheriff's office, whose primary responsibility is to conduct theft investigations, to stop and inspect vehicles transporting any of those loads. (2) 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.