Legislature OKs background checks for Uber, Lyft drivers

SACRAMENTO — Drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing companies would be required to have state and national background checks under a bill passed by the Legislature on Wednesday.

Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Sacramento, said AB1289 is needed because the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates ride-sharing companies, does not specify what kind of background check drivers must undergo, leaving passengers at risk.

Cooper’s bill comes after Uber agreed this year to pay up to $25 million to settle a 2014 lawsuit filed by district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles that argued the company misled customers by suggesting its background checks on drivers were toughest in the industry.

Two dozen drivers in those cities had been found to have serious criminal backgrounds that included sex offenses, kidnap and murder.

“As a father of four daughters, I don’t want my children being picked up by a driver convicted of murder or rape,” Cooper said in a statement. “AB1289 will uncover the complete criminal history of prospective drivers.”

The bill has been sent to the governor.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez