Amended  IN  Assembly  May 25, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 02, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 05, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 2061

Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Gipson)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, Gonzalez Fletcher, Maienschein, Medina, and Reyes)
(Coauthors: Senators Bates and Hueso)

February 07, 2018

An act to amend Section 35551 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2061, as amended, Frazier. Near-zero-emission and zero-emission vehicles.
Existing state and federal law sets specified limits on the total gross weight imposed on the highway by a vehicle with any group of 2 or more consecutive axles. Existing federal law authorizes a vehicle operated by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas to exceed these weight limits by an amount equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system. Under existing federal law, the maximum gross vehicle weight of that vehicle may not exceed 82,000 pounds.
This bill would authorize a near-zero-emission vehicle or a zero-emission vehicle, as defined, to exceed axle, tandem, gross, or bridge formula weight limits, up to a 2,000 pound maximum, by an amount equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the fueling and propulsion system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel fueling and propulsion system. The weight limit exceptions authorized by the bill would apply only to the extent expressly authorized by federal law.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 35551 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

35551.
 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or Section 35551.5, the total gross weight in pounds imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles shall not exceed that given for the respective distance in the following table:
Distance in feet between
the extremes of any group
of 2 or more consecutive
axles
2 axles
3 axles
4 axles
5 axles
6 axles
 4  ........................
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
 5  ........................
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
 6  ........................
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
 7  ........................
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
 8  ........................
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
34,000
 9 ........................
39,000
42,500
42,500
42,500
42,500
10  ........................
40,000
43,500
43,500
43,500
43,500
11  ........................
40,000
44,000
44,000
44,000
44,000
12  ........................
40,000
45,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
13  ........................
40,000
45,500
50,500
50,500
50,500
14  ........................
40,000
46,500
51,500
51,500
51,500
15  ........................
40,000
47,000
52,000
52,000
52,000
16  ........................
40,000
48,000
52,500
52,500
52,500
17  ........................
40,000
48,500
53,500
53,500
53,500
18  ........................
40,000
49,500
54,000
54,000
54,000
19  ........................
40,000
50,000
54,500
54,500
54,500
20  ........................
40,000
51,000
55,500
55,500
55,500
21  ........................
40,000
51,500
56,000
56,000
56,000
22  ........................
40,000
52,500
56,500
56,500
56,500
23  ........................
40,000
53,000
57,500
57,500
57,500
24  ........................
40,000
54,000
58,000
58,000
58,000
25  ........................
40,000
54,500
58,500
58,500
58,500
26  ........................
40,000
55,500
59,500
59,500
59,500
27  ........................
40,000
56,000
60,000
60,000
60,000
28  ........................
40,000
57,000
60,500
60,500
60,500
29  ........................
40,000
57,500
61,500
61,500
61,500
30  ........................
40,000
58,500
62,000
62,000
62,000
31  ........................
40,000
59,000
62,500
62,500
62,500
32  ........................
40,000
60,000
63,500
63,500
63,500
33  ........................
40,000
60,000
64,000
64,000
64,000
34  ........................
40,000
60,000
64,500
64,500
64,500
35  ........................
40,000
60,000
65,500
65,500
65,500
36  ........................
40,000
60,000
66,000
66,000
66,000
37  ........................
40,000
60,000
66,500
66,500
66,500
38  ........................
40,000
60,000
67,500
67,500
67,500
39  ........................
40,000
60,000
68,000
68,000
68,000
40  ........................
40,000
60,000
68,500
70,000
70,000
41  ........................
40,000
60,000
69,500
72,000
72,000
42  ........................
40,000
60,000
70,000
73,280
73,280
43  ........................
40,000
60,000
70,500
73,280
73,280
44  ........................
40,000
60,000
71,500
73,280
73,280
45  ........................
40,000
60,000
72,000
76,000
80,000
46  ........................
40,000
60,000
72,500
76,500
80,000
47  ........................
40,000
60,000
73,500
77,500
80,000
48  ........................
40,000
60,000
74,000
78,000
80,000
49  ........................
40,000
60,000
74,500
78,500
80,000
50  ........................
40,000
60,000
75,500
79,000
80,000
51  ........................
40,000
60,000
76,000
80,000
80,000
52  ........................
40,000
60,000
76,500
80,000
80,000
53  ........................
40,000
60,000
77,500
80,000
80,000
54  ........................
40,000
60,000
78,000
80,000
80,000
55  ........................
40,000
60,000
78,500
80,000
80,000
56  ........................
40,000
60,000
79,500
80,000
80,000
57  ........................
40,000
60,000
80,000
80,000
80,000
58  ........................
40,000
60,000
80,000
80,000
80,000
59  ........................
40,000
60,000
80,000
80,000
80,000
60  ........................
40,000
60,000
80,000
80,000
80,000
(b) In addition to the weights specified in subdivision (a), two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. The gross weight of each set of tandem axles shall not exceed 34,000 pounds and the gross weight of the two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall not exceed 68,000 pounds.
(c) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.
(d) This section does not affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of this chapter.
(e) The gross weight limits expressed by this section and Section 35550 shall include all enforcement tolerances.
(f) (1) A near-zero-emission or zero-emission vehicle may exceed axle, tandem, gross, or bridge formula weight limits by an amount, not to exceed a maximum of 2,000 pounds, that is equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the fueling and propulsion system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel fueling and propulsion system.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the terms “near-zero-emission vehicle” and “zero-emission vehicle” have the same meanings as defined in subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 44258 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3) This subdivision applies to highways which are a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (as referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 108 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956) only to the extent expressly authorized by federal law.