Legislative Update

Five weeks into the session...

Almost 1800 bills drafted and introduced...

We are actively tracking and working on 31 bills this session. It’s been a little crazy getting bad bills to be killed and trying to keep our bills alive so far.

There are a couple of bills I want to highlight.

H2055: CIVIL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS; COMMUNITY RESTITUTION
Representative Leo Biasiucci listened to an idea from Jennifer and ran with it. This bill allows a person who violates traffic and vehicle regulation statutes may perform courtapproved community restitution in lieu of paying a civil penalty, surcharge, assessment or fee.

H2060: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES; SAFETY FEATURES; PROHIBITIONS
Representative John Kavanaugh proposed this bill. Rep. Kavanaugh drives a Tesla and knows firsthand that any override to the automobile’s safety features could be detrimental. This is an example of a legislator being proactive. We love it! A person is prohibited from overriding the safety features of a fully autonomous vehicle or partially autonomous vehicle by modifying the vehicle's computer program, mechanically modifying the vehicle, or placing any physical device, including a weight, on the vehicle's steering wheel.

H2285: MOTORCYCLE OPERATION; PASSING VEHICLES
Representative Noel Campbell is a fellow motorcyclist and knows the danger of being rear-ended. This is NOT California style lane splitting. This is the same lane filtering that was passed in Utah last year. The operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle is permitted to overtake and pass another vehicle that is stopped in the same direction of travel in the same lane and to operate the motorcycle between the lanes of traffic on a street that is divided into at least two adjacent traffic lanes in the same direction of travel with a speed limit that does not exceed 45 miles per hour, if the motorcycle is traveling at a speed that does not exceed 15 miles per hour.

H2340: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES; ADOT DIRECTOR'S DUTIES
Representative Richard Andrade proposed this bill and we think it’s a good idea. Unfortunately, it might not even be heard in committee. The Director of the Department of Transportation is required to develop standards for testing the operation of "autonomous vehicles" (defined) in Arizona, including a statewide training curriculum for operators of and passengers in autonomous vehicles and for emergency personnel's response to an autonomous vehicle emergency. By November 1 of each year, the Director is required to submit a report on the operations of autonomous vehicles in Arizona to the Governor and the Legislature. Information that must be included in the report is specified.

H2442: HIGHWAY SAFETY FEE REPEAL
You voiced your disapproval of the $32 VLT and we tried to get an immediate repeal last session. Rep. Biasiucci again is taking the matters into his own hands for Arizona’s residents along with Rep. Blackman, Bolick, Carroll, Roberts and Senator Borrelli to get an immediate repeal of the fee.

Repeals the highway safety fee that was previously required to be in an amount established by the Director of the Department of Transportation annually in order to fund 110 percent of the Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol budget for each fiscal year.

H2566: VEHICLE EMISSIONS; CALIFORNIA STANDARDS
Representative Engel again introduced this bill that we killed last year. So far, it’s a DOA bill. Department of Environmental Quality rules on motor vehicle and combustion engine emissions are required to incorporate the standards adopted by the California Air Resources Board relating to motor vehicles in effect on January 1, 2019.

H2630: MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FUND
Representative Shawnna Bolick sponsored this for us along with Rep. Biasiucci, Blackman and Nutt. This is extending the Motorcycle Safety Fund for another 4 years. This funding is what provides a portion of funding for scholarships for Riders Courses and also the bumper stickers, brochures and other swag we are able to give away to promote motorcycle safety and awareness. The Director of the Department of Transportation is required to deposit $1 of each motorcycle registration fee collected in the Motorcycle Safety Fund through June 30, 2025, extended four years from June 30, 2021.

I just wanted to highlight a few bills for you. You can see all of the bills we are tracking inside this edition.Be good to one another.

Mike Infanzon
Legislative Director