AB 808: Automotive fuels and products.

(1)Existing law regulates the sales of motor vehicle fuels and lubricants. Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish standards for motor vehicle fuels and other petroleum products that are offered for sale in the state and requires the department, through the Division of Measurement Standards to enforce regulations and standards for motor vehicle fuels and lubricants. A violation of this law and those regulations and standards is a crime.

This bill would revise and recast those provisions and would additionally subject the retail sale of electricity for the purposes of transferring electricity to, or storing electricity onboard, an electric vehicle primarily for the purpose of propulsion and other alternative fuels. The bill would authorize the department to establish interim specifications for alternative fuels, as defined, until specified conditions are met. The bill would require the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to establish the method of sale of motor vehicle fuels and lubricants sold at retail to the public.

(2)Existing law prohibits the sale of a petroleum product that is conditioned on the purchase of another product, merchandise, or service, except that a person who operates a full service car wash facility may condition the sale of petroleum products on the purchase of a car wash.

This bill would instead prohibit the conditional sale of motor vehicle fuel rather than petroleum products, and would delete the exemption for full service car wash facilities.

(3)Existing law makes it unlawful for a person to sell or distribute engine oil or axle and manual transmission lubricant unless the SAE/API service classification is conspicuously marked on each container. A violation of this requirement is a crime.

This bill would revise the classifications and specifications to which engine oil or lubricants and axle and manual transmission lubricants are required to conform.

(4)Existing law regulates the sale of automotive products, such as engine coolant and antifreeze. Existing law requires the department to establish specifications for those products. Existing law deems an automatic transmission fluid as mislabeled under certain conditions. A violation of regulations governing the sale of automotive products is a crime.

This bill would revise and recast those provisions and would additionally deem transmission fluid to be mislabeled if the container and carton do not bear information identifying the container lot or batch. The bill would require the secretary to establish the method of sale of diesel exhaust fluid sold at retail to the public. The bill would authorize the sealer to take samples reasonably necessary for enforcement purposes under certain conditions. The bill would require manufacturers or packagers of automotive products, upon request, to provide to a duly authorized representative of the department documentation of claims made on their products.

(5)This bill would make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

(6)Because a violation of the above provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(7)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.