(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the emergency roadside assistance provided by highway service organizations is a valuable service that benefits millions of California motorists. The Legislature further finds and declares that emergency roadside assistance is provided statewide, in cooperation with, and shares resources with, public safety agencies. The Legislature also finds that the Department of the California Highway Patrol, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, is responsible for the rapid removal of impediments to traffic on highways within the state and that the Department of the California Highway Patrol may enter into agreements with employers for freeway service patrol operations under an agreement or contract with a regional or local entity. The Legislature declares that it is important to the public safety that drivers who provide emergency roadside service not have criminal records that include violent crimes against persons.
(b) The Legislature also declares that the Department of the California Highway Patrol, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, shall be responsible for establishing the minimum training standards for highway service organization employees and employers who participate in freeway service patrol operations pursuant to an agreement or contract with a regional or local entity.