Recreational off-highway vehicles.

(1) Existing law establishes rules for the operation of off-highway vehicles, including specified requirements governing the operation of recreational off-highway vehicles. A violation of these rules and requirements is a crime. Existing law prohibits a person who is operating a recreational off-highway vehicle from allowing a passenger to occupy a separate seat location not designed and provided by the manufacturer for a passenger. This bill would make these provisions applicable only to a recreational off-highway vehicle with a model year of 2014 or later. For vehicles with a model year of 2013 or earlier, the bill would allow seats that are installed in a separate seat location not designed and provided by the manufacturer for a passenger to be occupied if the occupant of the seat is fully contained inside of the vehicle's rollover protection structure at all times while the vehicle is being operated. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law prohibits a person from operating a recreational off-highway vehicle from riding with a passenger, unless the passenger, while seated upright with his or her back against the seatback, can grasp the occupant handhold with the seatbelt and shoulder belt or safety harness properly fastened while seated upright. This bill would define occupant handhold for these purposes, and would require occupant handholds to be designed to allow the recreational off-highway vehicle passenger to exit the vehicle without interference from the handholds. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.