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Committee backs modest rise in airport rental-car fee from $9 to $12 cap
Summary
AB 1150 would raise the statutory daily cap on airport customer facility charges for rental cars from $9 to $12 per day to fund construction, repairs and shuttle/tram operations; proponents emphasized the fee is a user charge with public-audit safeguards, while one witness warned about cumulative tourist costs.
The Senate Judiciary Committee moved forward Assembly Bill 1150, which would raise the statutory daily maximum customer facility charge (CFC) airports may collect from rental-car customers from $9 to $12 per day beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Assemblymember Schulz, the bill’s author, said the $9 cap has been unchanged since about 2010 and does not reflect inflation or rising maintenance and modernization costs at airport consolidated rental-car facilities. Lauren Weshi, deputy director of the California Airports Council, testified the increase is a limited, user-funded change: “This is a true user fee. The CFC is charged only to travelers who choose to rent a car at an airport,” she said, and revenue is restricted to construction, major repairs and operating dedicated shuttles or trams.
Weshi added that statutory consumer protections remain: public hearings, independent audits and online transparency reports would continue. John McHale of Enterprise Mobility spoke in support. David Bullock, testifying in opposition, urged caution, saying incremental fee increases contribute to higher travel costs and could eventually affect tourism demand.
Senators asked whether the increase includes an automatic cost-of-living adjustment; witnesses said it does not — the bill raises the cap to a fixed $12 and leaves future changes to the legislative process or subsequent proposals.
The committee recorded the motion to pass AB 1150; the hearing transcript records the final roll-call as 11 yes, 0 no.
