AB 2015 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Department of Transportation: third-party navigation applications: study and report.

Summary

Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation and vests it with full possession and control of the state highway system. This bill would require the department, in consultation with the Transportation Agency and relevant regional and local authorities, to conduct a pilot study in a region or area of the state, as determined by the department, on the impact of third-party navigation applications on the state highway system and local street and road networks. The bill would require the pilot study to analyze how third-party navigation applications affect congestion displacement, local infrastructure, safety metrics, and emergency response, as provided. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2029, to submit the study, and a report of related policy recommendations for regulatory or legislative action to improve the alignment between third-party navigation applications and state and local traffic management goals, to the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2033.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 17, 2026 Last action Aug 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/19/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/14/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Apr 14, 2026

MODERATE

AB 2015 was significantly restructured between the March 19 and April 14 amendments. The bill removed its technical amendments to speed limit provisions (Section 22349 Vehicle Code) and added an entirely new requirement for Caltrans to conduct a comprehensive study on how third-party navigation applications affect state highways and local roads, with a report due by January 1, 2028. The existing local authority powers regarding slow streets programs and navigation program restrictions were retained but renumbered.

Scope change

The bill expanded from addressing only local authority powers (slow streets programs and navigation program restrictions under Vehicle Code Section 21101) to also imposing a state-level study obligation on Caltrans under the Streets and Highways Code. The speed limit technical amendments were dropped entirely, narrowing that aspect of the bill's scope.

SCOPE

Removed all amendments to Section 22349 of the Vehicle Code, which had made technical, nonsubstantive changes to the 65 mph general speed limit and 55 mph two-lane undivided highway speed limit provisions.

The new study must analyze four specific areas: congestion displacement from highways to local streets, physical toll on local road pavement and maintenance costs, safety metrics including collision rates and near-miss incidents in slow streets or pedestrian-heavy zones, and effects on emergency response times for police, fire, and EMS.

The policy recommendations report may include data-sharing requirements between navigation apps and local jurisdictions, frameworks for navigation apps to respect local traffic ordinances such as weight limits or local access only designations, and technological standards to prioritize safety and emissions reductions over marginal time savings.

REQUIREMENT

Added new Section 155.8 of the Streets and Highways Code requiring Caltrans, in consultation with the Transportation Agency and local authorities, to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of third-party navigation applications on the state highway system and local street and road networks.

TIMELINE

Caltrans must submit the study and a policy recommendations report to the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on or before January 1, 2028.

Added a sunset provision repealing the new Section 155.8 on January 1, 2032.

02/17/26 - Introduced → 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · Mar 19, 2026

MODERATE

AB 2015 was substantially expanded in the Assembly amendment. Originally a technical cleanup of speed limit language in Section 22349 of the Vehicle Code, the bill now adds an entirely new section (21101) authorizing local authorities to implement 'slow streets programs' and, notably, to prohibit navigation apps (such as Waze or Google Maps) from routing drivers through those closed or restricted streets. Local authorities must also notify navigation program operators of which streets are in the program.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a narrow technical cleanup of speed limit provisions to a broad transportation policy measure covering slow streets programs, navigation app routing restrictions, and local authority powers over street closures. The new scope affects how navigation apps operate in cities that adopt slow streets programs.

SCOPE

Added a new Section 21101 to the Vehicle Code authorizing local authorities to implement slow streets programs, including closures or traffic restrictions on neighborhood local streets connected to bicycle networks, walkable destinations, or green space.

REQUIREMENT

Local authorities implementing a slow streets program must: conduct outreach and engagement with residents and property owners; determine the closure leaves sufficient surrounding streets for other public uses; provide advance notice; post signage per the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; make a safety determination; and maintain a publicly available website listing program streets and participation instructions.

Local authorities are required to notify any person, business, or entity owning or controlling a navigation program of the specific streets included in their slow streets program.

ENFORCEMENT

Local authorities may prohibit any person, business, or entity owning or controlling a navigation program from providing directions that include streets in a slow streets program. This effectively allows cities to force apps like Waze, Google Maps, or Apple Maps to stop routing drivers through closed neighborhood streets.

TECHNICAL

The original technical changes to Section 22349 (speed limits) remain but are now secondary. Changes include replacing 'no person may' with 'a person shall not,' changing 'signing' to 'signage,' and similar nonsubstantive language cleanups.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 27, 2026 · Assembly May 28, 2026

How they voted

30–10

Passed

Total votes 40

Aug 27, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

10 Nay

100% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 61. Noes 12.).

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.).

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13).

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on TRANS.

upper

May 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 15. Page 5524.)

lower

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (May 14).

lower

May 13, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 1.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 15, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and L. GOV.

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors