Rental passenger vehicle transactions.

Existing law generally governs the transactions between a rental car company, also referred to as a rental company, and its customers, including, among other provisions, required disclosures by a rental company, mandatory and prohibited contract provisions for a vehicle rental agreement, and authorization for a rental company to collect specific types of fees and charges from its customers. Existing law authorizes a rental company to sell a damage waiver for each rental day and imposes rate limitations on damage waivers based on the category of vehicle. This bill would set the damage waiver rate limitation for specified categories of vehicle to $25, and would, commencing January 1, 2023, authorize the rate cap to be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) , as specified. Existing law prohibits a rental company from charging a fee for authorized drivers in addition to the rental charge for an individual renter. This bill would authorize a rental company to charge a fee for an authorized driver, in addition to the rental charge for an individual renter, unless the authorized driver is the renter's spouse, child or person for whom the renter is a legal guardian, sibling, parent, grandparent, employer, or coworker, as specified. The bill would permit a rental company to charge up to twice the authorized driver fee if the rental company learns that an additional driver who was not previously authorized in the rental agreement has driven the rental car. Under existing law, a rental company's disclosure requirements are satisfied for renters who are enrolled in the rental company's membership program if certain conditions are met, including that the rental company provides a printed rearview mirror hanger to notify the renter of certain information and allow the renter to make prescribed elections. Existing law requires for the operation of the disclosure satisfaction provisions that an employee be present where the renter takes possession of the vehicle, to receive any change in the rental agreement from the renter. This bill would delete the mirror hanger requirement. The bill would also delete the requirement that an employee be present.