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AB-1532 Vehicle: accidents.(2013-2014)

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Enrolled  August 26, 2014
Passed  IN  Senate  August 20, 2014
Passed  IN  Assembly  August 22, 2014
Amended  IN  Senate  June 26, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  May 23, 2014

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1532


Introduced by Assembly Member Gatto
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Gorell, Lowenthal, Maienschein, and Ting)

January 21, 2014


An act to add Section 20005 to the Vehicle Code, relating to accidents.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1532, Gatto. Vehicle: accidents.
Existing law requires a driver involved in an accident resulting only in damage to property to, among other things, immediately stop the vehicle at the nearest location that will not impede traffic or otherwise jeopardize the safety of other motorists. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both.
This bill would provide that a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident where a person is struck shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and provide specified information including, but not limited to, his or her name and current residence address. A violation of these provisions would be either an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding $250, or a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 6 months, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or by both, and the Department of Motor Vehicles would be required to immediately suspend the driver’s license of a convicted driver for 6 months.
Because these changes would have the effect of expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 20005 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

20005.
 (a) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident where a person is struck shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident, and shall also give his or her name, current residence address, the names and current residence addresses of any occupant of the driver’s vehicle injured in the accident, the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving, and the name and current residence address of the owner to the person struck and the driver or occupants of any vehicle collided with, and shall give the information to any traffic or police officer at the scene of the accident.
(b) A driver or injured occupant of a driver’s vehicle subject to the provisions of subdivision (a) shall also, upon being requested, exhibit his or her driver’s license, if available, or, in the case of an injured occupant, any other available identification, to the person struck or the driver or occupants of any vehicle collided with, and to any traffic or police officer at the scene of the accident.
(c) A person failing to comply with all the requirements of this section is guilty of an infraction or misdemeanor.
(1) Upon conviction of an infraction for a violation of subdivision (c), a person shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
(2) Upon conviction of a misdemeanor for a violation of subdivision (c), a person shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(d) In addition to the punishment in subdivision (c), the Department of Motor Vehicles shall immediately suspend the driver’s license of the convicted driver for six months.

SEC. 2.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.