Bill Text: CA SB397 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 397 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Public transit operators: passengers with pets: evacuation orders.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 702, Statutes of 2019. [SB397 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB397-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 397

Introduced by Senator Glazer

February 20, 2019

An act to add Section 99166 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to transit operators.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 397, as introduced, Glazer. Public transit operators: passengers with pets: evacuation orders.

Existing law imposes various requirements on transit operators. Existing law prohibits a person from doing any of specified acts with respect to the property, facilities, or vehicles of a transit district, including, among other things, interfering with the operator or operation of a transit vehicle, or impeding the safe boarding or alighting of passengers.

This bill would require each public transit operator to develop best practices for allowing pets on public transit vehicles serving areas subject to an evacuation order. If an evacuation order is issued that covers all or a portion of a public transit operator’s service area, the bill would require the operator to authorize passengers to board public transit vehicles with their pets in the area covered by the evacuation order, consistent with those best practices. By creating new duties for public transit operators, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

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

SECTION 1.

Section 99166 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

99166.

(a) If an evacuation order is issued that covers all or a portion of a public transit operator’s service area, the public transit operator shall authorize passengers to board public transit vehicles with their pets in the area covered by the evacuation order, consistent with best practices developed pursuant to subdivision (b).

(b) Each public transit operator shall develop best practices for allowing pets on public transit vehicles serving areas subject to an evacuation order.

(1) “Evacuation order” means an order from the Governor, or a county sheriff, chief of police, or fire marshal, under which persons subject to the order are required to relocate outside of the geographic area covered by the order due to an imminent danger resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster.

(2) “Pet” means a cat or a dog as those terms are defined in Section 1799.109 of the Health and Safety Code.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.