Modified limousines: inspection program: safety requirements.

(1) The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act places charter-party carriers of passengers, as defined, under the jurisdiction and control of the Public Utilities Commission. The act defines a charter-party carrier of passengers to mean every person that is engaged in the transportation of persons by motor vehicle for compensation, whether in common or contract carriage, over any public highway, subject to certain exceptions, including common carrier passenger stage corporations. Existing law requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to regulate the safe operation of motor vehicles engaged in transportation for hire or compensation and to inspect those vehicles to ensure that they have the required safety equipment. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would require a modified limousine, as defined, to be equipped with 2 readily accessible and fully charged fire extinguishers, as specified, and would require one fire extinguisher to be securely mounted in the driver's compartment and at least one to be accessible to the passengers. The bill would require the driver or operator of the modified limousine to notify the passengers of the location of each fire extinguisher prior to the commencement of any trip. The bill would require the department, not later than July 1, 2016, to implement a safety inspection program, as specified, of the terminals of charter-party carriers of passengers and passenger stage corporations that operate modified limousines. The bill would require the department to adopt emergency regulations for this purpose. The bill would require the department to transmit to the Public Utilities Commission inspection data of modified limousines inspected pursuant to this program. The bill would also require the department to adopt regulations to establish an inspection fee to be paid by a charter-party carrier or passenger stage corporation, as specified. The bill would require the inspection fee to be collected by the Public Utilities Commission and deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund to cover the costs of the inspections conducted by the department. (2) Existing law requires that the Department of the California Highway Patrol, upon determining that a tour bus operator has failed, as provided, to comply with certain Vehicle Code provisions or related regulations, recommend to the Public Utilities Commission and other authorities that certain actions be taken against the carrier. This bill would also apply these requirements to modified limousine carriers and correct obsolete references. (3) Existing law requires every passenger stage corporation to furnish the Public Utilities Commission annually a list, prepared under oath, of all vehicles used in transportation for compensation during the preceding year and requires the commission to furnish a copy of this list to the Department of the California Highway Patrol. This bill would apply these requirements to charter-party carriers of passengers and would require that the list identify each modified limousine and its terminal location. The bill would prohibit the commission from issuing or continuing in effect, any permit, certificate, or authority of a passenger stage corporation or charter-party carrier of passengers that has not submitted the required fee for inspection pursuant to the inspection program. The bill would require the commission, not later than January 1, 2015, to provide the Department of the California Highway Patrol a list of each modified limousine and its terminal location in order for the department to promulgate regulations pursuant to these provisions. (4) Existing law requires a limousine operated by a charter-party carrier to display a special identification license plate, containing the word "livery." The special license plate is issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the cost of the special license plate program is funded by the Public Utilities Commission from the Transportation Reimbursement Account. This bill would repeal these and various other related provisions. (5) The bill would make other conforming and technical changes. (6) Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (7) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 34500 of the Vehicle Code made by this bill and AB 2752, to take effect if both bills are chaptered and this bill is chaptered last. (8) 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. (9) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.