Vehicles: prima facie speed limits: schools.

(1) Existing law establishes a 25 miles per hour prima facie limit when approaching or passing a school building or the grounds thereof, contiguous to a highway and posted up to 500 feet away from the school grounds, with a standard "SCHOOL" warning sign, while children are going to or leaving the school either during school hours or during the noon recess period. The prima facie limit also applies when approaching or passing school grounds that are not separated from the highway by a fence, gate, or other physical barrier while the grounds are in use by children and the highway is posted with a standard "SCHOOL" warning sign. A violation of that prima facie limit is an infraction. Existing law additionally allows a city or county to establish in a residence district, on a highway with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or slower, a 15 miles per hour prima facie limit when approaching, at a distance of less than 500 feet from, or passing, a school building or the grounds thereof, contiguous to a highway and posted with a school warning sign that indicates a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, while children are going to or leaving the school, either during school hours or during the noon recess period. The prima facie limit would also apply when approaching, at that same distance, or passing school grounds that are not separated from the highway by a fence, gate, or other physical barrier while the grounds are in use by children and the highway is posted with one of those signs. Existing law additionally allows a city or county to establish in a residence district, on a highway with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or slower, a 25 miles per hour prima facie speed limit when approaching at a distance of 500 to 1,000 feet from a school building or grounds thereof, contiguous to a highway and posted with a school warning sign that indicates a speed limit of 25 miles per hour, while children are going to or leaving the school, either during school hours or during the noon recess period. The prima facie limit would also apply when approaching, at that same distance, or passing school grounds that are not separated from the highway by a fence, gate, or other physical barrier while the grounds are in use by children and the highway is posted with one of those signs. This bill would allow a city or county to establish in a residence district, on a highway with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or slower, a 15 miles per hour prima facie speed limit when approaching, at a distance of less than 1,320 feet from, or passing, a school building or grounds thereof, contiguous of to a highway and posted with a school warning sign that indicates a speed limit of 15 miles per hour 24 hours a day. This bill would provide that a 25 miles per hour prima facie limit in a residence district, on a highway, with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or slower, applies, as to those local authorities, when approaching, at a distance of 500 to 1,320 feet from a school building or grounds thereof. This bill would also authorize a local authority, on the basis of an engineering and traffic survey, to extend the maximum distance to establish a prima facie speed limit and school warning signs, as specified. This bill would also allow the 15 miles per hour or 25 miles per hour prima facie speed limit to apply 24 hours a day. By authorizing a change in the prima facie limits, the bill would expand the scope of an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.