Vehicles: hazardous materials.

Existing law generally requires a motor carrier who directs the transportation of an explosive and a motor carrier who directs the transportation of a hazardous material, who is required to display specified placards, and a motor carrier who transports for a fee more than 500 pounds of a certain type of hazardous materials, to be licensed in accordance with the Vehicle Code, unless that code or regulations adopted pursuant to that code specifically exempt the motor carrier from the licensing requirements. Existing law prohibits the Department of the California Highway Patrol from issuing a license to transport hazardous materials to a motor carrier unless each terminal from which hazardous materials carrying vehicles are operated is in compliance with the Biennial Inspection of Terminals Program and is currently rated satisfactory. Existing law requires the department to adopt rules and regulations that provide for a temporary license to transport hazardous materials for motor carriers who, within the previous 3 years, have not been issued an unsatisfactory rating for specified inspections. This bill would provide that those provisions do not prevent the department from issuing a new or initial license to transport hazardous materials to a motor carrier that applies for a license to transport hazardous materials and that, within the previous 3 years, has been issued an unsatisfactory rating as a result of specified inspections, if the motor carrier has corrected the unsatisfactory rating before applying for the license to transport hazardous materials.