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SB-66 California Council on the Future of Transportation: advisory committee: autonomous vehicle technology.(2021-2022)



Current Version: 04/28/21 - Amended Senate

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SB66:v97#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  April 28, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  April 14, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 66

Introduced by Senator Allen

December 07, 2020

An act to add and repeal Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 13985) of Part 4.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to transportation.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 66, as amended, Allen. California Council on the Future of Transportation: advisory committee: autonomous vehicle technology.
Existing law establishes the Transportation Agency, which consists of various departments and state entities including the California Transportation Commission and the Department of Transportation. Under existing law, the agency is under the supervision of an executive officer known as the Secretary of Transportation, who is required to develop and report to the Governor on legislative, budgetary, and administrative programs to accomplish comprehensive, long-range, and coordinated planning and policy formulation in the matters of public interest related to the agency.
This bill would require the secretary to establish an advisory committee, the California Council on the Future of Transportation, to provide the Governor and the Legislature with recommendations for changes in state policy to ensure that as autonomous vehicles are deployed, they enhance the state’s efforts to increase road and transit safety, promote equity, and meet public health and environmental objectives. The bill would require the council to be chaired by the secretary and consist of 22 23 additional members, selected by the chair or designated, as specified.
The bill would require the council to gather and consider public comment on issues and concerns related to autonomous vehicles and to submit, no later than January 1, 2024, a report to the Legislature with, among other things, recommendations for statewide policy changes and updates, and to continue to update the report, or submit a new report, of its recommendations biennially thereafter, or more frequently at the secretary’s discretion. The bill would require the council to create subcommittees focused on one or more specific topics and to form one subcommittee led by the Office of Planning and Research focused on furthering the state’s environmental, public health, and energy objectives, as specified. The bill would require the this subcommittee to submit policy recommendations to the council and the Legislature by January 1, 2024, and to make those recommendations publicly available.
The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2035.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California, as a technological hub for innovation, should support the continued research and development of autonomous vehicle technology as it has the potential to eventually contribute, along with other transportation developments, to safety and mobility and to other environmental, economic, public health, and social equity benefits. Autonomous vehicle technology continues to be developed and its full potential has yet to be realized.
(b) The deployment of autonomous vehicles, along with all other parts of the transportation sector, should appropriately support the state’s efforts to improve road and transit safety, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollutants, reduce traffic congestion and vehicle miles traveled, encourage efficient land use, create and retain good jobs, and increase equity and equitable access to mobility and economic opportunities for all Californians.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 13985) is added to Part 4.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:
CHAPTER  1.5. California Council on the Future of Transportation

13985.
 (a) The secretary shall establish an advisory committee known as the California Council on the Future of Transportation.
(b) The council shall provide the Governor and the Legislature with recommendations for changes in state policy to ensure that as autonomous vehicles are deployed, they enhance the state’s efforts to increase road and transit safety, promote equity, and meet public health and environmental objectives.
(c) (1) The council shall be chaired by the secretary and consist of the following additional members, all of whom shall serve without additional compensation:
(A) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency or the secretary’s designee.
(B) The Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development or the secretary’s designee.
(C) The Chair of the California Transportation Commission or the chair’s designee.
(D) The Director of the Office of Planning and Research or the director’s designee.
(E) The Director of Transportation or the director’s designee.
(F) The Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol or the commissioner’s designee.
(G) The Insurance Commissioner or the commissioner’s designee.
(H) The Director of Motor Vehicles or the director’s designee.
(I) The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development or the director’s designee.
(J) The Chair of the State Air Resources Board or the chair’s designee.
(K) A member of the Public Utilities Commission designated by the president of the commission.
(L) The Chair of the California Privacy Protection Agency or the chair’s designee.
(2) (A) The secretary, in consultation with the members designated in subparagraphs (A) to (K), (L), inclusive, shall appoint 11 public members who represent any of the following interests: the insurance industry; a bona fide labor organization that represents transportation workers; a motorized and nonmotorized road user group; a science, environmental, environmental justice, equity, public health, or disability rights organization; an organization that represents aging adults; a California public research institution; a local government; a local transit agency; a vehicle or motorcycle manufacturer or an organization that represents vehicle manufacturers; or a technology company that develops autonomous technology or an organization that represents technology companies that are developing autonomous technology.
(B) The representatives appointed by the secretary shall serve for four-year terms and may be reappointed to consecutive terms.
(C) In selecting members pursuant to subparagraph (A), it is the intent of the Legislature that the secretary appoint a membership that reflects as many as of the interests described in subparagraph (A) as possible.
(d) (1) The council shall gather and consider public comment on issues, concerns, and policies related to autonomous vehicles and shall submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations for statewide policy changes and updates, and any additional research or data needed, no later than January 1, 2024. The council shall continue to update the report, or submit a new report, of its recommendations biennially thereafter, or more frequently at the secretary’s discretion.
(2) The council may submit to the Legislature policy recommendations or considerations, information regarding research or data needs, or any other information before submitting the report required pursuant to paragraph (1) if it determines doing so would further the goals of this chapter.

(2)

(3) A report or other information submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.
(e) The council shall include in its report submitted pursuant to subdivision (d), but is not limited to including, policy recommendations on the following topics:
(1) Enhancing safety for all road and transit users in the near and long term, including potential changes to traffic laws, and licensing and registration, and emergency response, taking into account changes in autonomous vehicle technology over time.
(2) Infrastructure improvements needed for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles.
(3) Improving how individuals travel, including, but not limited to, reducing traffic congestion and vehicle miles traveled.
(4) Furthering the state’s environmental, public health, and energy objectives, including the state’s planning priorities described in Section 65041.1.
(5) Promoting the integration of new mobility services with walking, bicycling, transit, and other modes of travel.
(6) Labor and economic impacts that include, but are not limited to, potential job loss, worker displacement and deskilling, workforce training and development program and funding needs, negative effects on public transit services, and job creation. job creation, and developments in goods movement and freight.
(7) Increasing the availability of accessible mobility options, particularly for individuals with technological, financial, cultural, and other barriers to mobility or with different physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities, that provide accessible physical equipment and communication interfaces.
(8) Potential changes to insurance requirements.
(9) Identifying, assessing, and mitigating reasonably foreseeable vulnerabilities from cyber attacks or unauthorized intrusions, including false and spurious messages and malicious vehicle control commands. commands, and protecting consumer privacy.
(f) The council shall create subcommittees focused on one or more each of the topics described in subdivision (e) (e), and any other topics determined by the council, to gather public comment and provide recommendations to the council. One subcommittee shall be led by the Office of Planning and Research and focus on paragraph (4) of subdivision (e), taking into consideration the principles established by the California Multi-Agency Workgroup on Automated Vehicle Deployment for Healthy and Sustainable Communities. Policy recommendations developed by this subcommittee shall be submitted to the council and the Legislature by January 1, 2024, and shall be made available to the public. The policy recommendations submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.
(g) The council shall develop an internet website and post on that site information, including, but not limited to, autonomous vehicle regulations and state policy, how the public can provide comments to the council, and any policy considerations or recommendations or data or research needs identified by the council.
(h) The council, including a subcommittee of the council, may hold public meetings to promote public participation and input in furtherance of this chapter.

(g)

(i) This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2035, and as of that date is repealed.