A bill that is designed to encourage truckers and others involved in intermodal freight at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to move their loads during off-peak hours has passed both houses of California’s General Assembly and is headed to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The bill, AB2024, which earlier passed the Assembly 55-25, passed the Senate Aug. 24 by a vote of 24-13. A day later, the Assembly voted 57-19 to concur with the Senate’s amendments, moving the bill on to the governor.

Introduced by Assembly Member Rudy Bermúdez, D-Norwalk, the bill would require the ports, working with the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, to develop a plan that would encourage port terminals, railroads, trucks and distribution centers to increase off-peak hour traffic.

The bill lists several goals that it says would be achieved by the move:

• Reduced emissions from trucks involved in intermodal freight;
• Reduced truck idling;
• More attention paid to equipment maintenance;
• Better port and cargo security;
• Streamlined freight movement; and
• More accurate identification of cargo at port terminals.

An earlier version of the bill called for the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency to recommend changes to California’s laws that would specify the incentives and disincentives and suggest other possible changes, such as mandatory port operation hours, changes in port appointment systems and technology upgrades.

The version of the bill that passed was less specific, requiring the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to “to evaluate changes to the goods movement network” that would reduce congestion, and “to collect statistics regarding compliance with federal, state, and local efforts to achieve certain related objectives.”

In addition, the ports will have to report to the state government by Jan. 31, 2005, and annually after that date, on the progress of their efforts.