AB 342: Vehicles: automated speed enforcement: five-year pilot program.

Existing law establishes a basic speed law that prohibits a person from driving a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent given the weather, visibility, traffic, highway conditions, and in no event at a speed that endangers the safety of persons or property. Existing law does not expressly authorize the use of automated speed enforcement in this state.

This bill would authorize, no later than January 1, 2019, the City of San Jose (San Jose) and the City and County of San Francisco (San Francisco) to implement a 5-year pilot program utilizing an automated speed enforcement system (ASE system) for speed limit enforcement on certain streets, if the system meets specified requirements, including that the presence of a fixed or mobile ASE system is clearly identified by signs, as specified, and trained peace officers or other trained designated municipal employees are utilized to oversee the operation of the fixed and mobile ASE systems. The bill would require San Jose and San Francisco to adopt an ASE System Use Policy, as specified, and develop uniform guidelines for, among other things, the processing and storage of confidential information. The bill would provide that a speed violation that is recorded by an ASE system is subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $100.

The bill would, among other things, provide for the issuance of a notice of violation, an initial review, an administrative hearing, and an appeals process, as specified, for a violation enforced by an ASE system. The bill would also authorize the processing agency to assess delinquent fees, as specified, if payment of the civil penalty is not received within a specified time. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle if, among other things, the owner has not paid the civil penalty and delinquent fees, except as specified. The bill would require the department to remit all penalties and delinquent fees collected, after deducting its own administrative fees, to the processing agency.

Existing law provides that payments for specified penalties, including penalties for offenses relating to the parking of a vehicle, required to register or transfer the registration of a vehicle, constitute a lien on the vehicle on which the payments are due or that was involved in the offenses, and on any other vehicle owned by the owner of that vehicle.

This bill would, until January 1, 2024, also include payments for penalties for offenses related to the ASE system operated by San Jose or San Francisco for which a notice of violation has been served on the owner or recipient of a reissued citation and any delinquent fees added to the penalty as constituting a lien on the specified vehicles.

Existing law transfers the responsibility and authority for the collection of specified delinquent amounts, including penalties for offenses relating to the standing or parking of a vehicle, from the department to the Franchise Tax Board.

This bill would, until January 1, 2024, also transfer to the board the responsibility and authority to collect penalties for offenses related to the ASE system operated by San Jose or San Francisco for which a notice of violation has been served on the owner or recipient of a reissued notice of violation and any delinquent fees added to the penalty.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of San Jose and the City and County of San Francisco.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.