AB 2780: Carrier of Passengers Act of 2024.

Existing law regulates common carriers of persons and requires a common carrier of persons to provide a sufficient number of vehicles to accommodate all the passengers who can be reasonably expected to require carriage at any one time, except as specified.

This bill, the Carrier of Passengers Act of 2024, would require carriers of passengers, as defined to include certain motor carriers, passenger carriers, and charter-party carriers of passengers engaging in transportation services, to provide electronic notice, at least 24 hours before embarkation, as defined, to a designated point of contact of the local governing body of the city, county, or city and county with jurisdiction at the geographic location of disembarkation, as defined. The bill would require this electronic notice to include, among other things, the anticipated date and time of arrival of passengers at the geographic location of disembarkation, as specified, and the number of passengers on the motor vehicle operated by the carrier who the carrier of passenger knows or reasonably should know arrived in the United States within 30 days of embarkation that are likely to seek emergency shelter and other immediate services upon disembarkation. The bill would prohibit a governing body from sharing, disclosing, or otherwise make accessible to any immigrant authority, as defined, information shared or received, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local governing bodies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill, among other things, would impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each act, committed by carriers of passengers, of transporting one or more passengers in violation of the bills provisions. The bill would make its provisions severable.

The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.

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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.