Committee backs delay to axle‑weight schedule for zero‑emission buses
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Summary
AB 19 44, presented for Assemblymember Alex Lee, would postpone parts of the declining axle-weight schedule for zero‑emission buses to give transit agencies time to procure extended‑range vehicles; the committee voted the bill out after sponsors said it preserves the 2015 final cap.
Assemblymember Arons presented AB 19 44 on behalf of Assemblymember Alex Lee. The bill delays portions of the statutory schedule that reduce maximum axle weights for zero‑emission buses so agencies and manufacturers can meet range requirements without violating weight limits established in earlier law.
Michael Pimentel, executive director of the California Transit Association, said the bill is a sponsor measure that helps agencies comply with the Innovative Clean Transit regulation by providing additional time to procure buses that meet both range and axle-weight limits. He said the bill leaves the final statutory cap unchanged and respects prior negotiations.
Committee members noted California’s ambitious vehicle‑emission goals but acknowledged that battery weight and range remain constraints that have not evolved as quickly as earlier schedules assumed. The committee approved the bill to proceed to the next stage with a roll call vote recorded in the hearing record.
Support was noted from multiple transit agencies and associations; no registered opposition appeared at the hearing.