An act to amend Section 23301.5 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.
Summary
AB 2372 amends California Vehicle Code Section 23301.5 to expand and clarify when authorized emergency vehicles may use toll facilities without paying tolls or other charges. Under the bill, an emergency vehicle can qualify for the toll exemption even if it is not displaying an exempt California license plate, so long as it is otherwise authorized as an emergency vehicle by the California Highway Patrol and is properly marked as an emergency vehicle. The bill continues to limit the exemption to vehicles responding to or returning from urgent or emergency calls, emergency responses, or certain fire station coverage assignments, and it preserves the rule that toll use must be likely to improve response or arrival time.
Impact
The bill would modify the Vehicle Code’s toll-exemption rules for authorized emergency vehicles on toll roads, toll bridges, vehicular crossings, and high-occupancy toll lanes. It would also preserve and reinforce the ability of toll operators and local emergency service providers to enter into agreements governing toll payment and processing, while making clear that such agreements do not exempt other emergency providers not covered by the agreement. The measure affects public agencies, ambulance providers, toll facility operators, and CHP-authorized emergency vehicles, and it leaves in place documentation and verification requirements for disputed toll exemptions.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support and little opposition. The bill passed committee unanimously in the Assembly and was later reported from committee in the Senate with a 13-0 vote and a recommendation for the consent calendar. There is no committee transcript indicating significant debate, and the bill’s progression suggests it is viewed as a technical or noncontroversial clarification for emergency response operations.
Contention
The main policy issue in the bill is how to balance emergency-response flexibility with toll-facility oversight and accountability. The bill relaxes the exempt-license-plate requirement for CHP-authorized emergency vehicles, which benefits agencies whose vehicles may not carry the exempt plate but are still legitimately used for emergency purposes. At the same time, it retains safeguards limiting the exemption to qualifying emergency use, excluding personal use, commuting, training, and administrative activity, and it preserves toll operators’ ability to request certification or dispatch records when compliance is questioned. The agreement provisions also suggest a concern for local flexibility, since toll operators and emergency service providers can negotiate facility-specific terms rather than rely solely on the default statutory rules.