I am proud to introduce my 2024 Transportation Bill Package, which includes consumer protection, road safety, and greater accountability for state agencies.
SB 932 will modify protections for new owners of used vehicles to ensure they will not be held accountable for past due registration fees and penalties incurred by the previous owner.
Transportation is the second-biggest expenditure for the average family, and with the cost of new vehicles continuing to rise, used cars are often the preferred and more economical option.
Currently, purchasing a used car from a private seller can carry the risk of the new owner assuming any outstanding DMV fees associated with the vehicle.
The choice to purchase a used car should not saddle the new owner with unknown fees. This fix will help California’s residents to keep their options open when searching for a new vehicle without having to worry about unexpected expenses.
SB 936 will help incentivize the process to improve certain highways by creating a CEQA exemption for safety improvements for the top 15 locations on the state highway system with the highest rate of vehicle collisions.
Car accidents are consistently a top cause of unintentional injury or death for Californians. This is an important step to make it easier for local agencies and the state to make improvements where necessary to prevent repeated deaths or serious injuries.
Our current system does not take into account how dangerous some roads are when deciding what to improve. Many of our communities have well known stretches of road that are dangerous to locals, let alone visitors who are unaware of conditions. We need to prioritize the projects that will save lives.
SB 947 ensures that any late stage changes to project design on state highway projects where local agencies have carried a significant financial contribution are only made when truly necessary.
Those large projects, often involving freeway on-and-off ramps and interchanges, have a lengthy process where local agencies work with the state through environmental mitigation, permitting, and project design. Unfortunately, there are instances of state agencies making late stage project design changes with little justification.
State highway projects can take years, and sometimes decades to complete. Our municipalities should not bear the burden of added costs when a state agency requests a design change when a project is in the late stages. They have already invested time, effort, and taxpayer money into the project and should not worry about unknown costs down the line.
These bills will make needed improvements for transportation in California.
Thank you for this opportunity to be of service.
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