California Senate Bill SB573 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 573AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 17, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 15, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 6, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 4, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Senator Lieu  (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member   Bloom   )  FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to amend Section 2416 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 573, as amended, Lieu. Vehicles: emergency vehicles. Existing law authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to issue authorized emergency vehicle permits for specified vehicles, and then only upon a finding in each case that the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law enforcement or for the immediate preservation of life or property or for the apprehension of law violators. This bill would authorize the commissioner to issue an emergency vehicle permit to a vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a disaster resource center hospital at the request of the Los Angeles County  Office of  Emergency  Medical  Services  Agency  or the  California Emergency Management Agency   state's Office of Emergency Services  , if the vehicle is used exclusively to transport mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency, as specified. The bill would require the hospital responsible for operating the vehicle to provide emergency vehicle operations training to the designated vehicle operators, to maintain a record of the training in the vehicle, to ensure that the designated vehicle operators maintain an appropriate class of driver's license, and to maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 2416 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 2416. (a) The Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol may issue authorized emergency vehicle permits only for the following vehicles, and then only upon a finding in each case that the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law enforcement or for the immediate preservation of life or property or for the apprehension of law violators: (1) Any vehicle maintained in whole or in part by the state, a county, or a city and privately owned and operated by a marshal, deputy marshal, or person who is a member of, and who receives salary from, and is regularly employed by, a police department or sheriff's department, if the state, county, or city does not furnish to that person a publicly owned authorized emergency vehicle. (2) Any vehicle owned and operated by a public utility, used primarily to accomplish emergency repairs to utility facilities or used primarily by railroad police officers, who are commissioned by the Governor, in the performance of their duties. (3) Firefighting or rescue equipment designed and operated exclusively as such. (4) Any vehicle operated by the chief, assistant chief, or one other uniformed person designated by the chief of a fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code or the Government Code or pursuant to special act of the Legislature. (5) Any vehicle of an air pollution control district used to enforce provisions of law relating to air pollution from motor vehicles. (6) Any vehicle operated by the chief of any fire department established on any base of the Armed Forces of the United States. (7) Any vehicle owned and operated by any fire company organized pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 14825) of the Health and Safety Code. (8) Privately owned ambulances licensed pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 2500). (9) Vehicles other than privately owned ambulances used by privately owned ambulance operators exclusively to transport medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency when a request for medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel has been made by any person or public agency responsible for providing emergency medical transportation. These vehicles shall display a sign or lettering not less than two and one-half inches in height, in a color providing a sharp contrast to its background, on each side showing the name of the ambulance operator. (10) Any vehicle owned and operated by an office or department of a city, county, or district that is designated by an ordinance adopted by the governing body of that local agency as a hazardous materials response team vehicle for response to hazardous materials emergencies. (11) Any vehicle owned and operated by a hospital designated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a disaster resource center hospital that is used exclusively to transport mass casualty decontamination apparatus medical supplies, lifesaving equipment, or personnel to the scene of an emergency at the request of the Los Angeles County  Office of Emergency Services   Emergency Medical Services Agency  or the  California Emergency Management Agency   state' s Office of Emergency Services  . The hospital responsible for operating the vehicle pursuant to this paragraph shall maintain insurance coverage for the vehicle in accordance with the financial responsibility provisions of Division 7 (commencing with Section 16000), provide emergency vehicle operations training to the designated vehicle operators, maintain a record of that training in the vehicle, and ensure that the designated vehicle operators maintain an appropriate class of driver's license. (b) The commissioner may adopt and enforce regulations to implement this section. (c) Violation of any regulation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section is a misdemeanor. SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances in the County of Los Angeles relative to its disaster resource center program, which is coordinated by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency and funded through federal grants.