2022 Annual Legislative Meeting

March 16, 2022

Sacramento Day at the Capital
VIRTUAL CBA 2022 Annual Legislative Meeting

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Learn all about what CBA is working on for you!

Featuring Presenters* from:

• Department of Motor Vehicle - DMV
  Registration and Data Systems
• California Air Resource Board regulatory, investigation and compliance branches
  We may even hear from Tony Brasil, Chief of Technology, Mobile Source Control Division Transportation and Clean Technology Branch. So please come prepared and email us your questions before the virtual meeting.
• CHP
  We will receive an update on the most pertinent issues from the state law enforcement perspective. Please let us know if there are specific issues that you need addressed from your area.
• California PUC:
  How is the new computer registration program going? Now’s your time to ask the questions.
• CBA Board Legislative Committee and your Lobbying team
  You’ll meet new lobbying team members and receive an important announcement about the future of our representation in the State Capital.

Legislative Activity is Important to CBA members and ALL California operators. Your participation helps us support this activity. Key legislative wins have been:

• Board of Equalization Regulation 1620 – Use Tax Exemption - CBA was instrumental in advocating for the implementation of this use tax exemption which, when purchasing coaches, when the coaches are used in interstate commerce for a minimum of one year at least 50% of the time, saving motor coach companies several millions of tax dollars over the years.
• AB-20 – California State Budget - Working directly with California State Legislature, the CBA was able to get included into the language of the State Budget $18 million dollars for relief of DMV registration fees for charter bus operators.
• Yosemite Access Working Group - CBA participated in a working group which worked directly with Yosemite National Park, while UMA and ABA worked with the National Park Service overall, to retain lower CUA fees per bus company.
• Title 13 CHP-R-2014-03 - CBA was instrumental in demonstrating to CalTrans & CHP the infeasibility of utilizing chains on duals. The resolution provided that, instead of requiring chains on both duals, operators may utilize cable chains and socks on the exterior tire of the dual only, or, if CalTrans &/or CHP determine inadequate snow removal has occurred, operators may use heavy (iron) chains on exterior tire of the dual only.
• Resolution M-4831 – PUC [PUTRA] Fees - Reduced charter party carriers’ and passenger stage corporations’ gross revenue fees.
• SB-20 – Vehicles: Buses: Seat Belts - CBA worked with Senator Hill to develop a bill that requires coach companies to post signage and/or run safety videos which outline all the safety features available within the bus prior to any transport, thus helping protecting operators from litigation due failure to notify passengers of safety instructions.
• B-1072 – School Bus Safety: Child Safety Alert System - The bill as originally written would have required that operators retrofit their coaches and school buses with child safety alert systems that forced drivers to walk to the back of the bus to shut down an alarm before exiting the bus, thereby ensuring that no children were left on the bus. CBA was able to demonstrate to the California legislature that the excessive cost of retrofitting vehicles to add this alert system was prohibitive. The bill was amended to emphasize that on SPAB trips, both the driver and the requisite chaperone are required to sign off that each has checked each seat to ensure that no child has been left on the bus.
• SB-247 – Charter bus transportation: safety improvements - CBA worked with Senator Lara to scale back proposed regulations beyond NHTSA recommendations and FMCSA implementation and instead, got the senator and the OEMs in discussions to resolve safety issues at the manufacturer level going forward.
• AB-45 – Brett Studebaker Law - CBA lobbied then-Assemblyman J Hill, author of the bill, to revise legislation which would have conferred responsibility for underaged drinking on buses upon the bus driver and / or bus company, instead to a designee provided by the chartering party, which is how the regulation currently stands.
• FTA Charter Service Rule - CBA participated in the negotiating of the FTA Charter bus service rule (Title 49-Part 604- Charter Service) which finally limited public transit agencies from accepting group charters except under very limited conditions.
• California Statewide Truck and Bus Rule - CBA was instrumental in separating diesel motor coaches from truck in the California Statewide Truck and Bus rule. This established a longer phase in time than that for trucks to replace older buses with either newer coaches or retrofit existing buses.
• 45' Bus & Motorhome Maps for Approved & Restricted Routes - CBA worked with CalTrans to develop a 45-foot bus access map as well as to help open multiple destinations and pick-up points to 45-foot buses.

And more! CBA is constantly monitoring California Legislative bills to help ensure the best outcomes for California operators.