Charter bus transportation: safety improvements.

The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act imposes various requirements on charter-party carriers of passengers, and provides for the safety regulation of charter-party carriers of passengers engaged in charter bus transportation, as defined, by the Public Utilities Commission. Under existing law, the Department of the California Highway Patrol is responsible for specified vehicle safety and equipment regulation. Unless otherwise specified, a violation of these vehicle safety and equipment provisions is an infraction. This bill, in addition to the above-referenced act, would require a charter-party carrier of passengers engaged in charter bus transportation to ensure that the driver of a charter bus that is designed to carry 39 or more passengers provides oral and written or video instructions to all passengers on the safety equipment and emergency exits on the vehicle prior to the beginning of any trip. The bill would also require those vehicles manufactured after July 1, 2020, to be equipped with emergency lighting fixtures that will turn on in the event of an impact or collision. The bill would require the department to adopt standards and criteria for the implementation of these equipment and safety requirements no later than July 1, 2018. The bill would also make related findings and declarations. Because a violation of these provisions would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.