New California Laws 2026
ing to vehicles. AB 438, Hadwick. Authorized emergency vehi- cles. Authorizes the commissioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to issue an emergency vehi- cle permit to a vehicle owned by a county, city or city and county office of emergency services only while that vehicle is being used by a public employee in re- sponding to any disaster. An act to amend Section 2416 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 440, Ramos. State bridges and overpasses: sui- cide prevention. Requires, commencing on January 1, 2027, health facilities, clinics, home health agen- cies, and hospices to annually report to the Depart- ment of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) on whether all of their health care employees eligible for employer-sponsored health care coverage are eligible to receive coverage at the commencement of employment without a waiting period. Requires, if not all health care employees eligible for employ- er-sponsored health care coverage are eligible with- out a waiting period, the health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices to additionally report the length of the waiting period, broken down by employee classification and waiting period time- frame. An act to add Section 92.8 to the Streets and High- ways Code, relating to streets and highways. AB 544, Davies. Electric bicycles: required equip- ment. This bill (1) requires electric bicycles (e-bikes) to have red reflectors on the bicycle at all hours of the day instead of only at night. This bill further (2) allows a minor cited for not wearing a helmet while riding an e-bike to complete a specialized electric bicycle safety course developed by the Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in lieu of pay- ing a fine. An act to amend Sections 21201 and 21212 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 545, Davies. Vehicles: electric bicycles. This bill adds applications to the list of products that a per- son cannot sell to modify the speed capability of an electric bicycle (e-bike) such that it no longer meets the statutory definition of an e-bike. An act to amend Section 24016 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 630, Mark González. Abandoned recreational vehicles. Authorizes the Counties of Alameda and Los Angeles, until January 1, 2030, to implement a program to remove and dispose of an abandoned rec- reational vehicle (RV) if it is estimated to have a value of $4,000 or less and the public agency has verified that it is inoperable. An act to add and repeal Section 22851.5 of the Ve- hicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 761, Addis. Monterey-Salinas Transit District: sales and special taxes. This bill authorizes the Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST), upon the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of its board of directors, to submit to voters a measure proposing a retail transactions and use tax (TUT) in accordance with TUT law. An act to amend Section 106060 of the Public Util-
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SB 863, Committee on Revenue and Taxation. Tax- ation. This bill makes four changes to improve tax administration suggested by the California Asso- ciation of County Treasurer-Tax Collectors and the California Department of Tax & Fee Administration (CDTFA), among others. An act to amend Sections 2512, 3706, 7265, 23696, and 30101.7 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, relat- ing to taxation. 2025 Assembly Transportation and Vehicles Laws AB 289, Haney. State highway work zone speed safety program. Authorizes the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to establish a work zone speed safety pilot program to enforce speeding vi- olations in highway maintenance and construction work zones using speed safety systems until January 1, 2032. An act to amend Section 70615 of the Government Code, and to add and repeal Article 5 (commencing with Section 22445) of Chapter 7 of Division 11 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles, and making an ap- propriation therefor. AB 366, Petrie-Norris. Ignition interlock devices. Extends the sunset of the ignition interlock device (“IID”) pilot program currently in place, from Janu- ary 1, 2026, to January 1, 2033. An act to amend Sections 13352, 13352.1, 13352.4, 13353.3, 13353.4, 13353.5, 13353.6, 13353.75, 13386, 13390, 23103.5, 23247, 23573, 23575, 23575.3, 23576, and 23597 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 377, Tangipa. High-Speed Rail Authority: busi- ness plan: Merced to Bakersfield segment. Requires the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) as part of the business plan due on or before May 1, 2026, to provide a detailed funding plan for the Mer- ced to Bakersfield segment. An act to add Section 185033.8 to the Public Utili- ties Code, relating to high-speed rail. AB 382, Berman. Pedestrian safety: school zones: speed limits. Reduces the school zone speed limit from 25 miles per hour (mph) to 20 mile per hour beginning January 1, 2031. An act to amend Sections 22358.4 and 40802 of, to amend, repeal, and add Section 22352 of, and to add and repeal Section 22352.5 of, the Vehicle Code, re- lating to pedestrian safety. AB 390, Wilson. Vehicles: highway safety. Expands the requirement that a driver approaching a station- ary vehicle slow down and move over to include any stationary vehicles, including marked highway main- tenance vehicles, displaying flashing hazard lights or another warning device An act to amend Section 21809 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. AB 435, Wilson. Vehicles: child passenger re- straints. Updates the definition for “properly re- strained by a seat belt” to incorporate the require- ments of the 5-Step test, beginning January 1, 2027. An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 27315, 27318, 27360.5, and 27363 of the Vehicle Code, relat-
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