Transportation network companies: participating drivers: safety courses.

The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act provides for the regulation of transportation network companies by the Public Utilities Commission. The act defines a "transportation network company" to mean an organization operating in California that provides prearranged transportation services for compensation using an online-enabled application or platform to connect passengers with drivers using a personal vehicle, as provided. The act also defines a "participating driver" as any person who uses a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's online-enabled application or platform to connect with passengers. The act requires a participating driver to possess a valid driver's license, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of the act is a crime. This bill would require a transportation network company, on and after July 1, 2023, to require a participating driver, at no cost to the driver, to complete a safety course that includes specified components once every 2 years as a condition of using the transportation network company's online-enabled application or platform to connect with passengers. The bill would also require a transportation network company to require a vehicle to satisfy the vehicle inspection requirements established by the commission before allowing a participating driver to operate the vehicle as part of its service, and every 12 months or 50,000 miles thereafter, whichever occurs first, as specified. Because a violation of these requirements under the act would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a transportation network company to compensate a participating driver for completing the safety course. 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.