Transportation & Road Safety

Expands the school transportation safety advisory committee from 11 to 13 members to include low-income voices. Requires appointment of two low-income community members, one each from urban and rural areas. Maintains the committee's role in developing school transportation safety regulations with CHP.

Requires the Department of Transportation to implement suicide prevention measures on local overpasses over highways. Mandates assessment of barriers and warning signs on overpasses with a history of suicide-related deaths. Requires consultation with the Office of Suicide Prevention to prioritize implementation of safety measures. Requires submission of findings to the Legislature by December 2026.

Authorizes car dealers to charge document processing fees up to $350 or 1% of vehicle price, whichever is less. Requires dealers to prominently display fee notices and provide written disclosures to customers. Exempts vehicle sales to state and local government entities from the increased fee provisions. Prohibits dealers from representing document processing charges as government fees.

Authorizes cities and counties to install automated traffic cameras to detect red light violations at intersections. Requires a 60-day warning period before issuing citations and clear signage indicating camera locations. Establishes escalating fines from $100 to $500 based on repeat violations within three years. Mandates programs offer payment plans and reduced fines for low-income violators.

Authorizes local governments to immediately remove vehicles that pose imminent health and safety hazards. Eliminates the requirement for both property owner approval and public nuisance determination before vehicle removal. Requires notification to vehicle owners within 5 days of removal and provides a 12-day claim period. Protects property owners from removal costs if vehicles were placed on their land without consent.

Makes technical changes to vehicle accident reporting requirements without substantive modifications.

Undeveloped "intent bill" that aims to improve road safety across California.

Increases county recording fees from $10 to $15 for first pages and $3 to $4 for additional pages. Requires all recording fees to be used exclusively for county recorder operations and modernization. Permanently extends the $1 fee for document preservation and digital archiving programs. Mandates that total fees cannot exceed the reasonable costs of providing recording services.

Extends California's road usage charge pilot program through January 1, 2035 to evaluate mileage-based fees. Addresses projected $4 billion annual decline in gas tax revenue due to increasing electric vehicle adoption. Continues testing payment systems that could provide gas tax relief for low-income drivers. Requires additional engagement with rural communities and tribal nations on road charge implementation.

Requires all port terminals to conduct mandatory safety inspections of intermodal chassis before release. Expands inspection requirements to include container devices, mud flaps, landing legs, and frame damage. Extends inspection record retention from 90 days to 6 months and requires repairs before transport. Prohibits retaliation against drivers who report unsafe chassis conditions or request reinspections.

Authorizes Sacramento to join six other California cities in operating automated speed cameras through 2032. Requires cities to install warning signs and issue warnings instead of tickets for the first 60 days of enforcement. Mandates removal of speed cameras after 18 months unless they reduce speeding by at least 20 percent. Restricts camera placement to school zones, high-crash areas, and streets with frequent illegal street racing.

Exempts vehicles that are 30 or more model years old from California's biennial smog check requirement. Expands the current smog check exemption which only applies to pre-1976 vehicles. Maintains existing exemptions for collector vehicles that meet specific insurance and inspection criteria.

Authorizes local agencies to develop alternative transportation plans for the canceled Feather River crossing project. Requires proceeds from excess property sales to fund regional transportation priorities. Allows Yuba City and surrounding counties to address local transportation needs through joint planning.

Authorizes agencies to reduce or waive parking penalties for those who demonstrate financial hardship or homelessness. Allows people to request parking ticket payment plans at any time, removing previous deadline restrictions. Requires parking agencies to offer $25 monthly payment plans for fines under $500 to qualifying low-income individuals. Mandates clear communication of payment options on violation notices and agency websites.

Mandates a 15-year prison sentence for drivers who flee accidents resulting in death or permanent serious injury. Increases penalties from the current 2-4 year sentence range for hit-and-run accidents with severe outcomes. Defines permanent serious injury as the loss or permanent impairment of function of a bodily member or organ.

Makes technical changes to provisions regarding state highway maintenance and improvement.

Limits fees that online vehicle registration companies can charge for DMV renewal services. Requires private registration companies to display a link to the DMV's free services on their websites. Mandates annual DMV oversight reports on private partners' transaction volumes and fraud detection. Establishes a $3 transaction fee for registration services through private partners.

Removes deed restrictions requiring public-only use of a specific Lynwood property transferred from Caltrans in 2016. Releases the City of Lynwood from a 15-year public use requirement on the Imperial Highway property. Enables the city to utilize the Alameda triangle portion of the property for non-public purposes.

Mandates accessible pedestrian signals at state-operated crosswalks to help visually impaired pedestrians. Requires touch-free pedestrian signal buttons at all new state highway crossings. Implements leading pedestrian intervals to give walkers a head start before vehicle traffic. Creates a statewide database to track and monitor pedestrian signal improvements.

Requires railroads to install defect-detection systems every 10 miles along freight train tracks. Prohibits freight trains longer than 7,500 feet from operating on California rail lines. Mandates stopped trains to clear railroad crossings when emergency vehicles approach. Establishes penalties up to $25,000 for railroads that violate safety requirements.

Establishes a Blue Envelope Program by 2027 to improve communication between police and drivers with disabilities. Requires DMV to provide blue envelopes containing safety tips and space for medical information during traffic stops. Allows family members and guardians to request blue envelopes for passengers with disabilities. Permits law enforcement agencies to create additional accessibility tools like decals and wristbands.

Establishes new regulations for electric off-highway motorcycles in California. Requires electric off-highway motorcycles to display DMV identification plates. Mandates that electric off-highway motorcycles meet specific design and safety requirements. Subjects electric off-highway motorcycles to existing off-road vehicle safety rules and penalties.

Requires manufacturers to report crashes involving automated driving systems within 5 days to the DMV. Imposes a $27,874 daily fine per violation for manufacturers who fail to report crashes. Mandates crash reporting when automated systems were active and resulted in injuries or airbag deployment. Requires DMV to publish crash data online while protecting personal and business information.

Expands off-highway vehicle recreation grants to include special districts with sworn law enforcement personnel. Maintains existing funding allocations with 50% for operations, 25% for restoration, and 20% for law enforcement. Requires annual financial audits and performance reviews of at least 20% of grant recipients. Mandates matching funds of 25% for most projects and 10% for restoration projects.

Expands consumer protections by prohibiting excessive towing and storage fees for vehicles. Prohibits charging extra storage fees on state holidays beyond standard daily rates. Bans towing fees when law enforcement directs vehicle removal during emergencies. Limits storage fees to 50% when vehicles are recovered within four hours.