SB1292 - Enhanced curb management system.

Amended IN Assembly June 11, 2026 Amended IN Senate April 22, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1292 Introduced by Senator Richardson February 20, 2026 An act to add and repeal Article 5 (commencing with Section 40275) of Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1292, as amended, Richardson. Enhanced curb management system. Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2030, a local agency, as defined, to install automated forward facing parking control devices on city-owned or district-owned parking enforcement vehicles for the purpose of taking photographs of parking violations occurring in bicycle lanes. Existing law requires a designated employee of a city, county, city and county, or a contracted law enforcement agency for a special transit district, who is qualified by the city and county or the district to issue parking citations, to review photographs for the purpose of determining whether a parking violation occurred in a bicycle lane and to issue a notice of violation to the registered owner of a vehicle within 15 calendar days, as specified. Existing law requires these photographic records to be confidential and makes these records available only to public agencies to enforce parking violations. Existing law requires any local agency that implements this pilot program to report to specified committees of the Legislature on the system’s effectiveness and impact on traffic outcomes, among other things, by December 31, 2028. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2032, the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach, or the city parking enforcement authority within those cities, to establish an enhanced curb management system (system) that records images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments if certain requirements are met. The bill would require the governing body of the participating city to adopt a public ordinance or resolution that would authorize the use of a system in specified locations, including, among others, passenger loading zones and smart loading zones. The bill would require a participating city that automates parking payments by charging vehicles a fee for access to outline the fee, and any adjusted rates, in an ordinance or resolution. The bill would require the public ordinance or resolution to include an Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy (policy) that sets forth the specific purpose of the system, among other things. The bill would require the policy to be made available for public review, as specified. This bill would require the system to record images of the vehicle and license plate at the time of the violation, and requires, before mailing a notice of parking violation, that the image data be reviewed and approved by a peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws. The bill would require the notice of violation to be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 15 calendar days, as specified. The bill would require the image data collected by the system and any identifying information to be confidential, and would require the image data to only be used for the purpose of processing parking violations and charging vehicles a fee for access. This bill would require a participating city to observe a public information campaign for at least 60 days before issuing citations, as specified. The bill would require a participating city to submit a report to its governing body and the transportation committees of the Legislature, as specified. The bill would require the governing body of the participating city to approve an Enhanced Curb Management Impact Report (report) after implementing a system and would require the report to include specified information, including, among other things, the locations where the system was deployed and data for these locations. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Illegally parked vehicles, such as those blocking transit stops, bicycle lanes, or crosswalks, or double-parked in travel lanes, create safety hazards and contribute to traffic congestion. Pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and transit riders are put at risk when forced into vehicle lanes by blocked sidewalks, bicycle paths, or bus zones. Poor compliance in loading zones also leaves delivery drivers with few options, often leading to double-parked vehicles. Clearing these obstructions will improve overall road safety and traffic because these violations are very short in nature, and they go uncited the vast majority of the time. (b) Due to limited parking enforcement personnel, many curb parking violations go unchecked, especially in busy urban areas. Traditional enforcement, such as writing a ticket and placing it on a windshield, is resource intensive and often impossible when violations are transient or after hours. Automated enforcement systems can supplement scarce personnel by reliably detecting violations, thereby promoting better compliance with existing parking laws. (c) California and other jurisdictions have seen positive results from automated traffic enforcement and automatically paid loading zones. For example, the City and County of San Francisco’s pilot program using cameras to enforce transit-only lanes significantly reduced transit delays by up to 20 percent and improved traffic flow. The City of New York City’s deployment of bus lane and bus stop cameras improved bus speeds by 5 percent and reduced collisions by 20 percent on those corridors. The Cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia’s programs to automate curbside enforcement and payment for loading zones and other safety hazard violations have led to 70 to 97 percent reductions in double parking, improved traffic flow, and greater economic activity in urban cores. These outcomes demonstrate that automated enforcement and paid loading zones can increase safety and efficiency without overburdening drivers. (d) Effective curb management through consistent enforcement and charging vehicles a fee for access of loading zones has economic benefits, ensuring parking turnover for businesses and reliable loading zones for deliveries. It also reduces circling for parking and idling in traffic, which in turn lowers emissions. The Legislature notes that cities like the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach view robust parking enforcement as vital to supporting local businesses and events and to meet climate and air quality goals. By deterring illegal parking, automated enforcement can enhance commerce in downtowns and reduce pollution from congestion. (e) The Legislature is mindful that automated license plate recognition and camera systems must include safeguards for privacy and accuracy. Successful programs have implemented strict data retention limits and oversight, for instance, requiring that any recorded images be destroyed within a defined short period after citation processing. It is the intent of the Legislature that any authorization of automated curb enforcement shall incorporate robust privacy protections and transparency measures. Public awareness efforts, including warning periods for drivers, are also critical to ensure the program’s fairness and acceptance. (f) Under existing law, local agencies must provide installment payment plans for “indigent,” or low-income, individuals with unpaid parking citations. Local agencies are required to place a link to information describing payment programs in a prominent, readily accessible location on the parking citation section of their internet websites. (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that local agencies that choose to adopt enhanced curb management systems comply with provisions of current law that require installment payment plans for the indigent. SEC. 2. Article 5 (commencing with Section 40275) is added to Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code, to read: Article 5. Enhanced Curb Management System 40275. (a) As used in this article, both of the following definitions apply: (1) “Enhanced curb management system” or “system” means a system of one or more stationary cameras or sensor devices with designated signage that record images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments. (2) “Designated jurisdiction” means any of the Cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach, or the city parking enforcement authority within the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, San Diego, or Long Beach. (b) A designated jurisdiction may establish an enhanced curb management system if it meets all of the requirements of this article. (c) An enhanced curb management system shall be operated by, or under the oversight of, a designated jurisdiction or by a contracted vendor on behalf of a designated jurisdiction. (d) Before the governing body of the designated jurisdiction establishes an enhanced curb management system, the governing body of the designated jurisdiction shall adopt a public ordinance or resolution that authorizes the use of an enhanced curb management system in any of the following locations: (1) Passenger loading zones. (2) Commercial loading zones for the purpose of enforcing parking violations only. (3) Smart loading zones. (4) Zero-emissions delivery zones. (5) Bicycle lanes. (6) No stopping zones. (7) Crosswalks. (e) (1) A designated jurisdiction may automate parking payments by charging vehicles a fee for access to passenger loading zones and smart loading zones. (2) A designated jurisdiction that charges vehicles a fee for access pursuant to paragraph (1) shall outline the fee, and any adjusted rates, in an ordinance or resolution. (3) A designated jurisdiction shall not charge vehicles a fee for access to commercial loading zones that existed prior to the adoption of an ordinance or resolution. (f) (1) The public ordinance or resolution that authorizes the use of an enhanced curb management system shall include an Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy that shall set forth the specific purpose of the system, the uses that are authorized, the rules and processes requirement to be followed by employees and contractors of the designated jurisdiction administering the system prior to its use, and the uses of the equipment or data collected that are prohibited. (2) The policy shall identify the data or information that can be collected by the system and the individuals who can access or use the collected information, and the rules and processes related to the access, transfer, and use of the information. (3) The policy shall include provisions for protecting data from unauthorized access, data retention, public access, third-party data sharing, training, auditing, and oversight to ensure compliance with the Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy. (4) The Enhanced Curb Management Use Policy, as an element of the public ordinance or resolution, shall be made available for public review, including, but not limited to, by posting it on the designated jurisdiction’s internet website at least 30 calendar days prior to adoption by the governing body of the designated jurisdiction. (g) A designated jurisdiction shall post signage giving notice of the enhanced curb management system, and the signage shall be posted clearly and positioned to provide reasonable notice to motorists in the affected area before the commencement of enforcement. (h) A designated jurisdiction may install a system pursuant to this article only if the examiner or issuing agency, as described in Section 40215, includes options to reduce or waive the payment of a parking penalty when the person is determined to be indigent, as defined in Section 40220. 40276. (a) The image data collected by the system shall be used only for both of the following: (1) To enforce parking violation laws. (2) To charge vehicles a fee for access to designated passenger loading zones and smart loading zones. (b) The image data collected by the system shall not be retained longer than 60 days after final disposition of a citation, six months after a paid session in a passenger loading zone or smart loading zone, or 30 days after the image was recorded if a citation is not issued or a fee is not charged, after which time the information shall be destroyed. (c) The designated jurisdiction shall ensure a contracted vendor operating the system follows the data retention and privacy guidelines pursuant to this section. (d) The image data and personal identifying information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for enforcement shall be confidential, shall only be used for purposes of processing the parking violation or to charge vehicles a fee for access, and shall not be disclosed except as required by law. (e) (1) The system shall collect only the minimum image data reasonably necessary to identify a vehicle license plate for the purposes described in subdivision (a). (2) To the extent technologically feasible, the system shall automatically obscure or blur portions of an image that do not depict the license plate or vehicle necessary for enforcement. (f) (1) A designated jurisdiction, or any contracted vendor operating the system, shall not cooperate with or provide image data to any individual, agency, or department from another state or to a federal agency, except when disclosure is required by federal law or a warrant is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. (2) Failure to comply with the data sharing restrictions in paragraph (1) shall result in excess revenue from the program being reverted to the Active Transportation Program, established pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 2380) of the Streets and Highways Code, to be allocated by the California Transportation Commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, pursuant to Section 2381 of the Streets and Highways Code. 40277. (a) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 40202, a notice of parking violation may be served by mail without physical attachment to the vehicle if the violation is detected by an enhanced curb management system operated by a designated jurisdiction in accordance with this article. (b) An enhanced curb management system shall meet all of the following procedures: (1) The enhanced curb management system shall record images of the vehicle and license plate at the t [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]