AB 596 — Motor vehicle defects: service bulletins and consumer electronic authorization.

Summary

(1) The Automotive Repair Act provides for the licensure and regulation of automotive repair dealers by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law also requires each manufacturer of a motor vehicle who furnishes notification to the registered owner of the motor vehicle of a defect in that motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment that relates to motor vehicle safety to correct the defect without charge to the registered owner or to reimburse the registered owner for the cost of making the correction. The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act applies to electronic records and electronic signatures to a transaction, and generally prohibits a record or signature from being denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form. Existing law exempts from that act specific transactions, including transactions involving a motor vehicle manufacturer's responsibility to furnish notification to the registered owner of the motor vehicle of any defect in the motor vehicle or its safety equipment, and the manufacturer's duty to correct that defect without charge to the registered owner or by reimbursing the registered owner for the cost of making corrections, as specified. This bill would permit a new motor vehicle dealer, despite the above provisions governing electronic transactions and notification of motor vehicle defects, to receive electronic authorization from consumers consistent with regulations of the Bureau of Automotive Repair for any repair of a manufacturer recall. (2) Existing law requires a motor vehicle dealer to provide specified conspicuous notice to prospective purchasers and lessees on how to get copies of service bulletins describing any defects in their vehicles in accordance with federal law, from the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) . Existing law provides that this notice requirement will be deemed to be satisfied if the dealer posts in the showroom or other area a form that includes specified information, including that the bulletins are available for a fee from the manufacturer or the NHTSA Technical Reference Division at a specified address. Existing law also requires this notice to state that certain consumer publications publish these bulletins and some companies will send them to prospective purchasers and lessees for a fee. This bill would delete the above-described language that references obtaining copies of these bulletins from the NHTSA Technical Reference Division at a specified address. The bill would also delete the first reference in the required notice that states that prospective purchasers and lessees may obtain copies of these bulletins "for a fee." The bill would require the notice to state that these bulletins are not recalls. The bill would make related changes to these provisions.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/03/19 - Chaptered Current pdf October 03, 2019
• Enrolled 09/13/19 - Enrolled pdf September 13, 2019
• Amended 09/04/19 - Amended Senate pdf September 04, 2019
• Amended 04/04/19 - Amended Assembly pdf April 04, 2019
• Amended 03/20/19 - Amended Assembly pdf March 20, 2019
• Introduced 02/14/19 - Introduced pdf February 14, 2019
• AB596 View text html

Action History

1. October 03, 2019

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 490, Statutes of 2019.

2. October 03, 2019

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 18, 2019

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

4. September 10, 2019

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3274.).

5. September 10, 2019

   Assembly Rule 77 suspended. (Page 3252.)

6. September 09, 2019

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after September 11 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.

7. September 09, 2019

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2678.).

8. September 05, 2019

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

9. September 04, 2019

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

10. July 05, 2019

    Ordered to third reading.

11. July 05, 2019

    From Consent Calendar.

12. July 02, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

13. July 01, 2019

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

14. June 19, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

15. May 22, 2019

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

16. May 09, 2019

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

17. May 09, 2019

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1589.)

18. May 02, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

19. May 01, 2019

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (May 1).

20. April 24, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

21. April 08, 2019

    Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

22. April 04, 2019

    Read second time and amended.

23. April 03, 2019

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 2).

24. March 21, 2019

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

25. March 20, 2019

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

26. March 14, 2019

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and P. & C.P.

27. February 15, 2019

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

28. February 14, 2019

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Timothy S. Grayson · Primary

Votes

Subjects