CA AB 544
enactedElectric bicycles: required equipment.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Description
(1) Existing law requires a bicycle operated during darkness on a highway, sidewalk, or bikeway to be equipped with, among other things, a red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that is visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. Existing law defines "bicycle" for these purposes to, among other things, include an electric bicycle. Existing law defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts of power and categorizes electric bicycles into 3 classes. A violation of the provisions relating to the requirements for equipping a bicycle or an electric bicycle is punishable as an infraction. This bill would require an electric bicycle during all hours to be equipped with a red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that is visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. By expanding the requirements for equipping an electric bicycle, the violation of which would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires a minor to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet when engaged in specified activities, including operating a bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, or skateboard or wearing in-line or roller skates and requires that the helmet meet the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Existing law prohibits a record of a violation of those provisions from being transmitted to the court and prohibits the imposition of a fee if the parent or guardian of the minor delivers proof that the minor has a helmet that meets specific standards and has completed a bicycle safety course, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $25, except as specified. This bill would, for a violation of these provisions involving an electric bicycle, prohibit a record of a violation from being transmitted to the court and the imposition of a fee if the parent or guardian of the minor delivers proof that the minor has a helmet that meets the specified safety standards and has completed a specialized electric bicycle safety course. The bill would also specify that the specialized electric bicycle safety course developed by the Department of the California Highway Patrol satisfies the requirement that a person complete a specialized electric bicycle safety course. By imposing new requirements with respect to electric bicycles, the violation of which would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
- Introduced
- 2025-03-05
- Status date
- —
- Latest action
- 2025-07-14 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 36, Statutes of 2025.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Daviesauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-11
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
2025-02-12
From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
2025-02-24
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
referral-committee
2025-03-05
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-06
Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
referral-committee
2025-03-19
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-03-24
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-25
Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
referral-committee
2025-04-08
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-04-30
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 30).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-01
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
reading-1,reading-2
2025-05-08
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1485.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-05-08
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-05-21
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
referral-committee
2025-06-10
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-06-19
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-06-30
From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-07-01
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
reading-1,reading-2
2025-07-03
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 1932.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-07-03
In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
committee-passage
2025-07-11
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
executive-receipt
2025-07-14
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-07-14
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 36, Statutes of 2025.
became-law
Versions
Documents
Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2025-04-07 · pass · 16-0
Member-level votes (16)
- Carrillo: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Ward: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Hart: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Davies: yes
- Papan: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Rogers: yes
Do pass. To Consent Calendar.
2025-04-30 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Dixon: yes
- Hart: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ta: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Solache: yes
- Fong: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Pellerin: other
AB 544 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day
2025-05-08 · pass · 69-0
Member-level votes (79)
- Gabriel: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Bains: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Berman: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Chen: yes
- Haney: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Ward: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Davies: yes
- Hart: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Papan: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Fong: yes
- Patel: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Lee: yes
- Solache: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Soria: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Addis: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Ta: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Carrillo: other
- Arambula: other
- Irwin: other
- Gallagher: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Wallis: other
- Flora: other
- Boerner: other
- Sanchez: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2025-06-10 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Arreguín: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Limón: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Archuleta: other
- Gonzalez: other
Consent Calendar 2nd
2025-07-03 · pass · 35-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Blakespear: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Becker: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Niello: yes
- Allen: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Choi: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Laird: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Strickland: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Jones: yes
- Alvarado-Gil: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Limón: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Stern: yes
- Grove: other
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Reyes: other
- Dahle: other
- Seyarto: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
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