Section 34623.

(a) The Department of the California Highway Patrol has exclusive jurisdiction for the regulation of safety of operation of motor carriers of property.

(b) The motor carrier permit of a motor carrier of property may be suspended for failure to do any of the following:

(1) Maintain any vehicle of the carrier in a safe operating condition or to comply with this code or with applicable regulations contained in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, if that failure is either a consistent failure or presents an imminent danger to public safety.

(2) Enroll all drivers in the pull notice system as required by Section 1808.1.

(3) Submit any application or pay any fee required by subdivision (e) or (h) of Section 34501.12 within the timeframes set forth in that section.

(c) The motor carrier permit of a motor carrier of property shall be suspended for failure to either (1) comply with the requirements of federal law described in subdivision (a) of Section 34520 of the Vehicle Code, or (2) make copies of results and other records available as required by subdivision (b) of that section. The suspension shall be as follows:

(1) For a serious violation, which is a willful failure to perform substance abuse testing in accordance with state or federal law:

(A) For a first offense, a mandatory five-day suspension.

(B) For a second offense within three years of a first offense, a mandatory three-month suspension.

(C) For a third offense within three years of a first offense, a mandatory one year suspension.

(2) For a nonserious violation, the time recommended to the department by the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

(3) For the purposes of this subdivision, "willful failure" means any of the following:

(A) An intentional and uncorrected failure to have a controlled substances and alcohol testing program in place.

(B) An intentional and uncorrected failure to enroll an employed driver into the controlled substances and alcohol testing program.

(C) A knowing use of a medically disqualified driver, including the failure to remove the driver from safety-sensitive duties upon notification of the medical disqualification.

(D) An attempt to conceal legal deficiencies in the motor carrier's controlled substances and alcohol testing program.

(d) The department, pending a hearing in the matter pursuant to subdivision (f), may suspend a carrier's permit.

(e) (1) A motor carrier whose motor carrier permit is suspended pursuant to subdivision (b) may obtain a reinspection of its terminal and vehicles by the Department of the California Highway Patrol by submitting a written request for reinstatement to the department and paying a reinstatement fee as required by Section 34623.5.

(2) A motor carrier whose motor carrier permit is suspended for failure to submit any application or to pay any fee required by Section 34501.12 shall present proof of having submitted that application or have paid that fee to the Department of the California Highway Patrol before applying for reinstatement of its motor carrier permit.

(3) The department shall deposit all reinstatement fees collected from motor carriers of property pursuant to this section in the fund. Upon receipt of the fee, the department shall forward a request to the Department of the California Highway Patrol, which shall perform a reinspection within a reasonable time, or shall verify receipt of the application or fee or both the application and fee. Following the term of a suspension imposed under Section 34670, the department shall reinstate a carrier's motor carrier permit suspended under subdivision (b) upon notification by the Department of the California Highway Patrol that the carrier's safety compliance has improved to the satisfaction of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, or that the required application or fees have been received by the Department of the California Highway Patrol, unless the permit is suspended for another reason or has been revoked.

(f) Whenever the department suspends the permit of any carrier pursuant to subdivision (b), (c), or paragraph (3) of subdivision (i), the department shall furnish the carrier with written notice of the suspension and shall provide for a hearing within a reasonable time, not to exceed 21 days, after a written request is filed with the department. At the hearing, the carrier shall show cause why the suspension should not be continued. Following the hearing, the department may terminate the suspension, continue the suspension in effect, or revoke the permit. The department may revoke the permit of any carrier suspended pursuant to subdivision (b) at any time that is 90 days or more after its suspension if the carrier has not filed a written request for a hearing with the department or has failed to submit a request for reinstatement pursuant to subdivision (e).

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, no hearing shall be provided when the suspension of the motor carrier permit is based solely upon the failure of the motor carrier to maintain satisfactory proof of financial responsibility as required by this code, or failure of the motor carrier to submit an application or to pay fees required by Section 34501.12.

(h) A motor carrier of property may not operate a commercial motor vehicle on any public highway in this state during any period its motor carrier of property permit is suspended pursuant to this division.

(i) (1) A motor carrier of property whose motor carrier permit is suspended pursuant to this section or Section 34505.6, which suspension is based wholly or in part on the failure of the motor carrier to maintain any vehicle in safe operating condition, may not lease, or otherwise allow, another motor carrier to operate the vehicles of the carrier subject to the suspension, during the period of the suspension.

(2) A motor carrier of property may not knowingly lease, operate, dispatch, or otherwise utilize any vehicle from a motor carrier of property whose motor carrier permit is suspended, which suspension is based wholly or in part on the failure of the motor carrier to maintain any vehicle in safe operating condition.

(3) The department may immediately suspend the motor carrier permit of any motor carrier that the department determines to be in violation of paragraph (2).

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 774, Sec. 5. Effective September 21, 2002.)