State Watch – December 2022/January 2023

As the new year approaches, OOIDA is focused on providing truckers with information on important legislation during the coming year. In the next few months, state lawmakers from all corners of the country will rapidly add to the list by offering new bills.

Not all of them will be covered on these pages, but readers will be able to find many bills of significance to their trucking business. Here’s our roundup of noteworthy issues addressed by governors in recent weeks and the latest activity on other notable efforts.

For a complete rundown of state legislation, visit LandLine.media.

California

A new law in California addresses concerns about wildlife and vehicular traffic interactions.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill to require the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with Caltrans to establish a wildlife connectivity action plan.

Previously AB2344, the new law mandates the agencies to identify areas with high rates of wildlife-vehicle collisions and implement priority projects that improve connectivity with passage features that include overpasses, underpasses and directional fencing.

Newsom has vetoed a bill to align transportation funding with the state’s climate goals.

AB2438 called for requiring transportation funding programs to include strategies from the state’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure into program guidelines. Affected programs were Caltrans, the California Transportation Commission, and the California Transportation Agency.

The governor cited redundancy for his bill veto. He added that work is well underway at the affected agencies to align funding programs in the bill with the action plan.

Colorado

A proposal at the Colorado statehouse addresses the use of speed enforcement cameras.

State law now allows, with some limitations, the use of speed cameras in all communities.

A police officer or other government employee must be present when a violation occurs. The presence requirement does not apply within a maintenance, construction or repair zone.

A draft bill calls for removing the requirement from statute that a police officer or other government employee be present when a violation occurs.

New Jersey

One bill moving through the New Jersey statehouse would require the Motor Vehicle Commission to operate a call center to assist with online transactions.

The state’s online system is available for customers to make appointments for in-person services at motor vehicle agencies. Options available for service include getting licenses, registration and titles, and commercial driver’s license renewals.

A3663 would require the call center to be available to the public on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To reduce staffing needs, the bill would authorize additional web-based tutorial support and recorded help messages.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania state lawmaker responsible for the new rule that requires drivers to remove accumulated ice or snow before driving on roadways wants to set up a grant program for scrapers to be installed around the state.

Sponsored by Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, SB1354 would create a snow and ice removal grant program.

Grant funds would be made available to entities to invest in snow removal technology for individual businesses and publicly accessible locations, including a service area, a weigh station, an inspection facility, a port, a terminal or another intermodal transportation facility.

A separate pursuit would require outstanding tolls and late fees be paid by an individual in order to register a vehicle.

Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Lackawanna, wants to require the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to share information on uncollected and unbillable tolls, along with late fees, to the state DOT.

The highway department would be required to crosscheck the database as part of the registration process to verify that an individual does not have unpaid tolls.

If an individual has unpaid tolls, they would need to pay the outstanding balance and late fees before their vehicle registration would be issued.

Gov. Tom Wolf has signed into law a bill to permit driverless testing and deployment of autonomous cars and trucks on state roadways.

Pennsylvania law has prohibited vehicle operation on state roadways without a human driver behind the wheel inside the vehicle.

Previously HB2398, the new law permits platooning with a driver in the lead vehicle. One vehicle that is not the lead vehicle is permitted to operate with an automated driving system engaged. LL