Bill Text: CA SB500 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 500 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Autonomous vehicles: zero emissions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 277, Statutes of 2021. [SB500 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB500-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate April 15, 2021

Amended IN Senate April 05, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 500

Introduced by Senator Min

February 17, 2021

An act to add Section 38751 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 500, as amended, Min. Autonomous vehicles: zero emissions.

Existing law establishes regulations for the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if the manufacturer meets prescribed requirements.

Existing law provides for various programs to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles, including the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which was established by the State Air Resources Board as a part of the Air Quality Improvement Program, to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles by providing rebates for the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles, and the Charge Ahead California Initiative, which establishes various goals, including the goal of placing in service at least 1,000,000 zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles by January 1, 2023.

This bill would, ~~beginning January 1, 2025,~~ to the extent allowed by federal law, prohibit the ~~department~~ Department of Motor Vehicles from accepting an application for original ~~or renewal~~ registration of a qualifying autonomous vehicle that is first operated, sold, leased, offered for sale, or offered for lease in the state on or after January 1, 2027, unless that qualifying autonomous vehicle is a zero-emission vehicle. The bill would define ~~“a qualifying~~ “qualifying autonomous vehicle” to mean a self-propelled vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,001 pounds and with specific automation technology that is permitted by the department for deployment as an autonomous vehicle. The bill would define “zero-emission vehicle” to mean a self-propelled vehicle that produces no tailpipe emissions of criteria pollutants, toxic air contaminants, and greenhouse gases when stationary or operating, as determined by the State Air Resources Board.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 38751 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

38751.

(a) ~~Beginning January 1, 2025,~~ To the extent allowed by federal law, the department shall not accept an application for original ~~or renewal~~ registration of a qualifying autonomous vehicle that is first operated, sold, leased, offered for sale, or offered for lease in the state on or after January 1, 2027, unless that qualifying autonomous vehicle is a zero-emission vehicle.

(b) For the purposes of this section, a “qualifying autonomous vehicle” means a self-propelled vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,001 pounds that meets both of the following requirements:

(1) Equipped with technology that makes it capable of operation that meets the definition of Level 4 or 5 of SAE International’s “Taxonomy Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles, standard J3016 (SEP2016),” as may be revised.

(2) Permitted by the department for deployment as an autonomous vehicle.

(c) For purposes of this section, “zero-emission vehicle” means a self-propelled vehicle that produces no tailpipe emissions of criteria pollutants, toxic air contaminants, and greenhouse gases from the qualifying autonomous vehicle when stationary or operating, including idling, as determined by the State Air Resources Board.