SACRAMENTO – A bill by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) that would prohibit the sale of unsafe, used cars that are under a safety recall stalled in an Assembly committee today, but Jackson vowed to continue the fight in hopes of moving the bill through the State Legislature in January.
Senate Bill 686 was held in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee today – no vote was taken – because the bill lacked the votes to pass out of committee.
Current federal law already prohibits car dealers from selling new cars when they are under a federal safety recall. This bill would extend the same prohibition to the sale of used cars.
Testifying in support of Senate Bill 686 today was Fe Lastrella of Vallejo, CA, mother of the late Cleofe Lastrella Saylor and Chris Lastrella, grandmother of Mahala Saylor, and mother-in-law of CHP Officer Mark Saylor. Her family members were killed in a car crash in Santee, CA, on August 28, 2009, when a used 2009 Lexus that a dealer in El Cajon loaned to CHP officer Mark Saylor accelerated out of control while his family was en route to 13-year-old Mahala's soccer game. The 911 recording of Chris Lastrella calling for help has been heard worldwide.
SB 686 will be amended to be named The Saylor - Lastrella Auto Safety Act.
“It’s only a matter of time before California stops car dealers from engaging in recalled, used car roulette,” said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, the sponsor of the bill.
SB 686 is supported by consumer groups, safety organizations including the Safe Kids California coalition, and the nation's largest auto insurer, State Farm. Its major opposition is the California New Car Dealers Association and AutoNation.
The bill was recently amended to delay its implementation pending the creation of a federal database of safety recall information by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. NHTSA is expected to issue a ruling on the federal database by July 7.