Support SB 1376 for full access to Uber and Lyft

To California disability advocates:

Just about everyone knows that Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft nearly always fail to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).

Though too few of us know that California Senator Jerry Hill has a bill to change that!

While TNCs have provided access to many in the disability community, especially for Deaf and Blind individuals, what is currently lacking—and what SB 1376 addresses—is the lack of TNC access for wheelchair users.  SB 1376 makes a statewide commitment to move to full accessibility of TNCs.

SB 1376, the TNC Access for All Act, now pending on the California Assembly floor, will be heard soon, on Aug. 23 or 24. Then it will hopefully move to the Senate floor, and to the Governor for his signature. See more details about SB 1376 below.

ACTION NOW: Please tell members of the California Assembly and Senate about your support for the bill. Emails of support should be sent and/or calls made ASAP  to all Assembly Members’ offices and then to all Senators’ offices.

Express your support, ASAP, for the SB 1376 and its importance for persons with mobility disabilities.  Your calls and emails can be as simple as:

"I’m calling to urge you to vote yes on SB 1376, because Californians with disabilities deserve to use Uber and Lyft like anyone else!"

(… and express how you specifically would benefit.)

Disability groups working together on this bill include Disability Rights California, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, The Center for Independent Living, and a host of other disability and transportation agencies that want to improve access to TNCs. (See a full list of supporters on the fact sheet linked below.) We need strong statewide support for SB 1376!

Please make calls and send emails to your Assembly Members and Senators. If you do not know who they are, go to Find Your California Representative to get their names, phone numbers, and emails. Once you know your representatives’ names, here’s an Assembly staff email and phone number list.

Also, here’s a fact sheet on SB 1376 prepared by Senator Hill’s office that includes more details and the list of supporters.

Finally, if you would like your organization to be identified as supporting SB 1376 in a floor alert that we will send to members, please let Curt Child know (contact info below)—and it would help if you could send Curt your organization’s logo so that your support is prominently displayed.

Contact if questions:

More info on SB 1376:

This bill requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop regulations for TNCs (i.e., Uber and Lyft). The CPUC must:

• hold workshops statewide with relevant stakeholders;
• assess a minimum 5¢ fee on every TNC ride to fund on-demand wheelchair accessible transportation services;
• report to the Legislature by January 1, 2024 on the implementation of the program; and
• create a working group with stakeholders to examine duplicative programing in transportation services for people with disabilities.

While there is currently no formal opposition to the bill, including from the TNCs, it is still critical that everyone reach out to their Assembly Members and Senators to express support!