Senate Transportation Committee advances a slate of transportation bills; votes recorded on funding, homelessness, EV batteries and dealer fees

The Senate Transportation Committee on April 10 advanced multiple bills addressing a range of transportation issues — from managing homeless encampments on state right-of-way to funding Bay Area transit, regulating end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and adjusting a capped dealer document-processing fee.

Committee members completed roll-call votes on several measures. Key outcomes included: SB 569 (Blakespear) on coordinating Caltrans encampment abatements, SB 791 (author: Cortese) on modernizing the document-processing charge for vehicle dealers, SB 615 (Allen) on producer responsibility for EV batteries, SB 496 (Hurtado) on exemptions and extension processes for the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, SB 661 (Hurtado) on aviation fuel sales tax allocations for regional airports, SB 572 (Gonzales) on preserving vehicle crash reporting if federal reporting ends, and SB 63 (Wiener) authorizing a regional transit funding ballot measure for parts of the Bay Area. Each bill was forwarded to the next committee or the appropriate fiscal committee for further consideration.

Why the committee moved several diverse items today

Committee members described several near-term policy problems: encampments on Caltrans right-of-way that local agencies say they cannot clear quickly, operating deficits at major Bay Area transit operators after pandemic-related ridership declines, the need for a state framework to ensure EV batteries are tracked and recycled responsibly, and the argument by some dealer groups that the longstanding flat document-processing fee no longer covers modern costs. Lawmakers and witnesses framed the votes as procedural steps to move negotiations and technical work forward, not final policy determinations.

Major points from the hearing

SB 569 — Encampments on state highways: Senator Blakespear said the bill “will direct the Department of Transportation, also known as Caltrans, to improve the efficiency of its encampment resolution process.” Support witnesses from San Diego and Bell Gardens described frequent complaints and localized public-safety hazards; Franklin Coopersmith, deputy director of the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, cited past disease outbreaks and brush fires, and Mayor Jorge Chavez (Bell Gardens) described large encampments and traffic-safety and economic impacts along the I‑710 corridor. The committee voted to pass the measure to the Appropriations Committee (final committee tally recorded as 15–0 on the record).

SB 791 — Dealer document-processing charge: The sponsor said the bill replaces the flat $85 cap with “a new percentage based structure, 1% of the vehicle price capped at $500.” Supporters from the California New Car Dealers Association and Enterprise argued the fee covers a growing set of services (registration, financing paperwork, fraud prevention and compliance). Consumer advocates opposed the increase, calling the charge a nonnegotiable “junk fee” that would be passed to buyers at an inopportune time; Rosemary Shahan of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety requested a no vote. The committee recorded a vote advancing the bill to the Rules Committee (final tally recorded in the hearing as 12–1 on the record).

SB 615 — EV battery producer responsibility: Senator Allen’s measure would require battery suppliers and entities that remove batteries to properly manage, track and, when necessary, recycle batteries; recycling facilities would be certified by the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Supporters (including Union of Concerned Scientists and Ford) argued producer responsibility and tracking are needed to avoid hazardous waste and to recover critical minerals. Some manufacturers and recyclers urged further negotiation on safety, cost and motorcycle exemptions. The bill moved to Appropriations (final tally recorded as 11–2 on the record).

SB 496 — Advanced Clean Fleets and emergency exemptions: Senator Hurtado’s bill would create an advisory appeals body and broaden certain exemptions and extension processes for the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, specifically to address emergency response and specialized vehicles that suppliers say are not yet available as zero‑emission models. Supporters from local water districts, county fleets and utility fleets described situations when frontline vehicles must tow generators or operate auxiliary equipment for extended periods, which current ZEV offerings cannot always meet. Union of Concerned Scientists expressed concerns the bill could broaden exemptions and delay compliance. The bill was moved to Appropriations (final tally on record: 15–0).

SB 661 — Regional airport funding: Senator Hurtado’s measure would redirect aviation fuel sales‑tax revenue toward airport infrastructure, air service expansion and aviation workforce development, with a commitment to develop an equitable allocation formula. The California Airports Council and several county boards supported the measure; airline representatives welcomed Section 3 of the bill but asked for continued work on the allocation formula. The Committee passed the bill to Revenue & Taxation (final tally 14–0 on the record).

SB 572 — Vehicle crash reporting if federal reporting ends: Senator Gonzales said the bill would require manufacturers to report crashes involving vehicles with driver-assistance features to the DMV if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stopped collecting such reports. Supporters included California Professional Firefighters and consumer-safety groups, who said state reporting would preserve visibility into emerging safety trends. Tesla registered an oppose‑unless‑amended position. The committee advanced the bill to the Judiciary Committee (final tally on the record 11–1).

SB 63 and SB 445 — Bay Area transit funding and permitting reform: Senator Wiener (coauthor) presented SB 445 as a spot bill to address permitting delays on already‑funded public‑transit projects and said the bill will be rebuilt in consultation with stakeholders. SB 63 would authorize Bay Area counties to pursue a regional transit funding measure to address operating deficits at major operators (BART, Muni, AC Transit, Caltrain); sponsors emphasized a required financial-efficiency review and accountability provisions. The committee advanced both measures; SB 445 was reported out unanimously (13–0), and SB 63 was recorded as advanced on a roll call (11–7 on the record) and will proceed to Revenue & Taxation.

What the votes mean next

Advancing a bill out of committee is a procedural step that sends measures to the next committee(s) or the floor for further consideration. Multiple authors and stakeholders told the committee they intend further negotiations and amendments in follow-up committees — on funding allocation formulas, return‑to‑source questions for transit funding, guardrails on dealer fees, details in producer‑responsibility rules, and clarified language for fleet‑exemption processes.

Meeting context and next steps

The committee hearing included a mix of agency and local‑government witnesses, industry groups, labor representatives and consumer advocates. Several measures were explicitly described as frameworks for more stakeholder work rather than final policy fixes. Authors repeatedly said they intend to continue negotiating with affected parties and to return with technical amendments in subsequent committees. Votes reported in the hearing record will appear in the committee files and trigger the next review steps, primarily appropriations and revenue committees for fiscal items.

Ending note

Committee members and presenters emphasized they were forwarding measures to allow time for additional negotiations, fiscal review or refinement — not to enact final policy at this hearing. Several authors asked members to permit further stakeholder work on allocations, consumer protections, and implementation details before final floor votes.