BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE             BILL NO.:............AB 28
Senator Quentin L. Kopp, Chairman           AUTHOR:...........GALLEGOS
                                            VERSION:
                                              (Orig.):
                                              (As Amend.):....06/01/95
                                            FISCAL:................YES

SUBJECT: 

Tire chain disclosure.

DESCRIPTION: 

This bill would specify the manner for disclosing to a buyer that a  
particular vehicle may not be operated with snow chains.

ANALYSIS: 

Existing law requires new motor vehicle manufacturers to indicate in  
the vehicle owner's manual or other printed material that a vehicle,  
as equipped, may not be operated with tire chains.

Existing law requires a new motor vehicle dealer to disclose in  
writing to the buyer that a vehicle, as equipped, may not be operated  
on a highway when snow chains are required, if the owner's manual or  
other material provided by the manufacturer includes that  
information.  The dealer must obtain the buyer's signature to  
acknowledge the required disclosure.

 This bill would require that the tire chain disclosure be provided on  
a separate piece of paper in 14-point type, and would specify the  
required disclosure language.

COMMENTS: 

1.  AB 39 (Tanner, 1991) required vehicle dealers to disclose the  
tire chain information to buyers, but did not require the statement  
to be separate or otherwise distinguished from any other document or  
the contract of sale.  Existing law does not specifically require the  
disclosure to be made and signed prior to finalizing the sale,  
however.

According to the author, this measure is a response to complaints  
from consumers who purchased new vehicles that could not be fitted  
for tire chains.  Despite the current disclosure requirement, many  
purchasers complete their purchases without receiving proper notice  
regarding the unsuitability of tire chains on many vehicle models.   
The form and manner of disclosure can vary from dealer to dealer.

2.  The bill's intent is to make more effective the current  
disclosure requirement.  As drafted, however, the bill does not  




require the disclosure  prior to a vehicle's purchase.  Unless the  
disclosure is provided to a consumer before a sale, such notice  
probably would be moot relative to the decision whether to purchase  
the vehicle.

3.  Opponents contend that the existing disclosure requirement should  
be made part of the information included on the manufacturer's window  
sticker.













































AB 28 (GALLEGOS)                                               Page 3
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Assembly Votes:
  Floor: 56-9
  Appr:  14-1
  Trans: 12-4


POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on 
            Wednesday, July 5, 1995.)

    SUPPORT:  


    OPPOSED:  California Motor Car Dealers Association




































AB 28 (GALLEGOS)                                               Page 4
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                                                              07/05/95