Toll evasion violations.

Existing law prohibits a person from evading or attempting to evade the payment of tolls or other charges on any vehicular crossing or toll highway, and makes a violation of these provisions subject to civil penalties, as specified. If a vehicle is found to have evaded tolls on any toll road or toll bridge, existing law requires an issuing agency or a processing agency, within 21 days of the violation, to forward to the registered owner a notice of toll evasion violation setting forth the violation, as specified. Existing law authorizes, within 21 days from the issuance of the notice of a toll evasion violation, or within 15 days from the mailing of the notice of delinquent toll evasion, whichever occurs later, a person to contest a notice of toll evasion violation or a notice of delinquent toll evasion. Existing law requires the processing agency to either investigate with its own records and staff or request that the issuing agency to investigate the circumstances of the notice, and requires the processing agency to mail the results of the investigation to the person who contested the violation. If the person is not satisfied with the results of the investigation, existing law authorizes the person to deposit the amount of the toll evasion penalty and request an administrative review, as prescribed. Existing law requires the review to be conducted in accordance with specified written procedure established by the processing agency and authorizes the agency's final decision to be delivered personally or by first-class mail. Within 20 days after mailing of the final decision, the contestant may seek review by filing an appeal to the superior court. This bill would not require a person contesting a notice of toll evasion violation or notice of delinquent toll evasion to pay the toll evasion penalty until after the processing agency or issuing agency finds as a result of an investigation, or the processing agency finds as a result of an administrative review, or a court finds as a result of a hearing, that the contestant did commit a toll evasion violation, whichever occurs later. The bill would authorize an administrative review to include reviews of multiple notices of toll evasion violation or notices of delinquent toll evasion of a person.