99171
. (a) (1) A transit district may issue a prohibition order to
any person to whom either of the following applies:
(A) On at least three separate occasions within a period of 90
consecutive days, the person is cited for an infraction committed in
or on a vehicle, bus stop, or train or light rail station of the
transit district for any act that is a violation of paragraph (2) or
(5) of subdivision (a) of Section 99170 of this code or paragraph
(1), (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 640 or Section
640.5 of the Penal Code.
(B) The person is arrested or convicted for a misdemeanor or
felony committed in or on a vehicle, bus stop, or light rail station
of the transit district for acts involving violence, threats of
violence, lewd or lascivious behavior, or possession for sale or sale
of a controlled substance.
(C) The person is convicted of a violation of Section 11532 of the
Health and Safety Code or Section 653.22 of the Penal Code.
(2) A person subject to a prohibition order may not enter the
property, facilities, or vehicles of the transit district for a
period of time deemed appropriate by the transit district, provided
that the duration of a prohibition order shall not exceed the
following, as applicable:
(A) Thirty days if issued pursuant to subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (1), provided that a second prohibition order within one
year may not exceed 90 days, and a third or subsequent prohibition
order within one year may not exceed 180 days.
(B) Thirty days if issued pursuant to an arrest pursuant to
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1). Upon conviction of a misdemeanor
offense, the duration of the prohibition order for the conviction,
when added to the duration of the prohibition order for the initial
arrest, if any, may not exceed 180 days. Upon conviction of a felony
offense, the duration of the prohibition order for the conviction,
when added to the duration of the prohibition order for the initial
arrest, if any, may not exceed one year.
(3) No prohibition order issued under this subdivision shall be
effective unless the transit district first affords the person an
opportunity to contest the transit district's proposed action in
accordance with procedures adopted by the transit district for this
purpose. A transit district's procedures shall provide, at a minimum,
for the notice and other protections set forth in subdivisions (b)
and (c), and the transit district shall provide reasonable
notification to the public of the availability of those procedures.
(b) (1) A notice of a prohibition order issued under subdivision
(a) shall set forth a description of the conduct underlying the
violation or violations giving rise to the prohibition order,
including reference to the applicable statutory provision, ordinance,
or transit district rule violated, the date of the violation, the
approximate time of the violation, the location where the violation
occurred, the period of the proposed prohibition, and the scope of
the prohibition. The notice shall include a clear and conspicuous
statement indicating the procedure for contesting the prohibition
order. The notice of prohibition order shall be personally served
upon the violator. The notice of prohibition order, or a copy, shall
be considered a record kept in the ordinary course of business of the
transit district and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts
contained in the notice establishing a rebuttable presumption
affecting the burden of producing evidence. For purposes of this
paragraph, "clear and conspicuous" means in larger type than the
surrounding text, or in contrasting type, font, or color to the
surrounding text of the same size, or set off from the surrounding
text of the same size by symbols or other marks that call attention
to the language.
(2) For purposes of this section, "personal service" means any of
the following:
(A) In-person delivery.
(B) Delivery by any form of mail providing for delivery
confirmation, postage prepaid, to at least one address provided by
the person being served, including, but not limited to, the address
set forth in any citation or in court records.
(C) Any alternate method approved in writing by the transit
district and the person being served.
(3) If a person served with a notice of prohibition order is not
able, or refuses, to provide a mailing address, the notice of
prohibition order shall set forth the procedure for obtaining any
letters, notices, or orders related to the prohibition order from the
administrative offices of the transit district. For purposes of this
section, delivery shall be deemed to have been made on the following
date, as applicable:
(A) On the date of delivery, if delivered in person.
(B) On the date of confirmed delivery, for any delivery by mail.
(C) For any alternate method of service, as provided in the
writing specifying the alternate method.
(4) Proof of service of the notice shall be filed with the transit
district.
(5) If a person contests a notice of prohibition order, the
transit district shall proceed in accordance with subdivision (c). If
the notice of prohibition order is not contested within 10 calendar
days after delivery by personal service, the prohibition order shall
be deemed final and shall go into effect, without further action by
the transit district, for the period of time set forth in the order.
(6) All prohibition orders shall be subject to an automatic stay
and shall not take effect until the latest of the following:
(A) Eleven calendar days after delivery of the prohibition order
by personal service.
(B) If an initial review is timely requested under paragraph (1)
of subdivision (c), 11 calendar days after delivery by personal
service of the results of the review.
(C) If an administrative hearing is timely requested under
paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), the date the hearing officer's
decision is delivered by personal service.
(c) (1) For a period of 10 calendar days from the delivery of the
prohibition order by personal service, the person may request an
initial review of the prohibition order by the transit district. The
request may be made by telephone, in writing, or in person. There
shall be no charge for this review. In conducting its review and
reaching a determination, the transit district shall determine
whether the prohibition order meets the requirements of subdivision
(a) and, unless the person has been convicted of the offense or
offenses, whether the offense or offenses for which the person was
cited or arrested are proven by a preponderance of the evidence. If,
following the initial review, based on these findings, the transit
district determines that the prohibition order is not adequately
supported or that extenuating circumstances make dismissal of the
prohibition order appropriate in the interest of justice, the transit
district shall cancel the notice. If, following the initial review,
based on these findings, the transit district determines that the
prohibition order should be upheld in whole or in part, the transit
district shall issue a written statement to that effect, including
any modification to the period or scope of the prohibition order. The
transit district shall serve the results of the initial review to
the person contesting the notice by personal service.
(2) The transit district may modify or cancel a prohibition order
in the interest of justice. The transit district shall cancel a
prohibition order if it determines that the person did not understand
the nature and extent of his or her actions or did not have the
ability to control his or her actions. If the person is dependent
upon the transit system for trips of necessity, including, but not
limited to, travel to or from medical or legal appointments, school
or training classes, places of employment, or obtaining food,
clothing, and necessary household items, the transit district shall
modify a prohibition order to allow for those trips. A person
requesting a cancellation or modification in the interest of justice
shall have the burden of establishing the qualifying circumstances by
a preponderance of the evidence.
(3) If the person is dissatisfied with the results of the initial
review, the person may request an administrative hearing of the
prohibition order no later than 10 calendar days after the results of
the initial review are delivered by personal service. The request
may be made by telephone, in writing, or in person. An administrative
hearing shall be held within 30 calendar days after the receipt of a
request for an administrative hearing. The person requesting the
hearing may request one continuance, not to exceed seven calendar
days.
(4) The administrative hearing process shall include all of the
following:
(A) The person requesting the hearing shall have the choice of a
hearing by mail or in person. An in-person hearing shall be conducted
within the jurisdiction of the transit district.
(B) The administrative hearing shall be conducted in accordance
with written procedures established by the transit district and
approved by the governing body or chief executive officer of the
transit district. The hearing shall provide an independent,
objective, fair, and impartial review of the prohibition order.
(C) The administrative review shall be conducted before a hearing
officer designated to conduct the review by the transit district's
governing body or chief executive officer. In addition to any other
requirements, a hearing officer shall demonstrate the qualifications,
training, and objectivity prescribed by the transit agency's
governing body or chief executive officer as are necessary to fulfill
and that are consistent with the duties and responsibilities set
forth in this subdivision. The hearing officer's continued service,
performance evaluation, compensation, and benefits, as applicable,
shall not be directly or indirectly linked to the number of
prohibition orders upheld by the hearing officer.
(D) The person who issued the notice of prohibition order shall
not be required to participate in an administrative hearing, unless
participation is requested by the person requesting the hearing. The
request for participation must be made at least five calendar days
prior to the date of the hearing and may be made by telephone, in
writing, or in person. The notice of prohibition order, in proper
form, shall be prima facie evidence of the violation or violations
pursuant to subdivision (a) establishing a rebuttable presumption
affecting the burden of producing evidence.
(E) In issuing a decision, the hearing officer shall determine
whether the prohibition order meets the requirements of subdivision
(a) and, unless the person has been convicted of the offense or
offenses, whether the offense or offenses for which the person was
cited or arrested are proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
Based upon these findings, the hearing officer may uphold the
prohibition order in whole, determine that the prohibition order is
not adequately supported, or cancel or modify the prohibition order
in the interest of justice. The hearing officer shall cancel a
prohibition order if he or she determines that the person did not
understand the nature and extent of his or her actions or did not
have the ability to control his or her actions. If the person is
dependent upon the transit system for trips of necessity, including,
but not limited to, travel to or from medical or legal appointments,
school or training classes, places of employment, or obtaining food,
clothing, and necessary household items, the transit district shall
modify a prohibition order to allow for those trips. A person
requesting a cancellation or modification in the interest of justice
shall have the burden of establishing the qualifying circumstances by
a preponderance of the evidence.
(F) The hearing officer's decision following the administrative
hearing shall be delivered by personal service.
(G) A person aggrieved by the final decision of the hearing
officer may seek judicial review of the decision within 90 days of
the date of delivery of the decision by personal service, as provided
by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(d) A person issued a prohibition order under subdivision (a) may,
within 10 calendar days of the date the order goes into effect under
paragraph (6) of subdivision (b), request a refund for any prepaid
fare media rendered unusable in whole or in part by the prohibition
order, including, but not limited to, monthly passes. If the fare
media remain usable for one or more days outside the period of the
prohibition order, the refund shall be prorated based on the number
of days the fare media will be unusable. The issuance of a refund may
be made contingent on surrender of the fare media.
(e) For purposes of this section, "transit district" means the
Sacramento Regional Transit District or the Fresno Area Express.
Until January 1, 2018, for purposes of this section, "transit
district" also means the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit
District.