Assembly Transportation Committee advances package of bills on port emissions, school-zone speeds, EV chargers, autonomous delivery

The California State Assembly Transportation Committee advanced eight bills after extended discussion and public testimony, sending each to the next committee with instructions for further review. Major items the committee moved on included AB 605 (cargo-handling equipment pilot program), AB 1132 (community resilience indicators for Caltrans vulnerability assessments), AB 382 (lowering school zone speed limits to 20 mph), AB 902 (wildlife crossings for transportation projects), AB 1014 (giving Caltrans discretion in speed assessments on state highways), AB 1022 (ending vehicle immobilization/tow solely to collect unpaid parking tickets), AB 1423 (charger reliability and enforcement for state-funded EV chargers), and AB 33 (requiring a human safety operator on driverless commercial delivery vehicles).

The package matters because it touches public safety, worker protections, climate resilience and state investments. The committee’s actions will move bills to appropriations, natural resources, local government, utilities, or other panels for additional review and possible floor consideration. Votes reflected significant bipartisan support for several measures and more divided tallies on items that raised fiscal or enforcement concerns.

AB 605 (Marisucci): The committee advanced AB 605 to the Committee on Natural Resources. The bill would create a pilot program allowing use of hydrogen internal-combustion cargo-handling equipment certified under certain EU standards for the machine’s useful life, while asking for protections and standards on NOx emissions. Assemblymember Marisucci, the author, said, “don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good,” to describe the bill’s intent to reduce diesel use while ports remain competitive. Opponents and commenters, including South Coast Air Quality Management District, urged care on NOx and the bill’s limits on future action by air regulators. Outcome: Passed to Natural Resources (tally reported in committee: majority in favor).

AB 113…