Enrolled  September 19, 2017
Passed  IN  Senate  September 14, 2017
Passed  IN  Assembly  September 15, 2017
Amended  IN  Senate  September 08, 2017
Amended  IN  Senate  September 01, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 381

Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Frazier)

February 09, 2017

An act to add Article 5.4 (commencing with Section 4630) to Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 381, Calderon. Vehicle registration: Voluntary Deaf or Hard of Hearing Notification Program: establishment.
Existing law generally prohibits a person from driving, moving, or leaving a vehicle upon a highway or in an offstreet public parking facility, unless it is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the appropriate fees have been paid.
This bill would establish and require the department, on and after July 1, 2020, to administer the Voluntary Deaf or Hard of Hearing Notification Program. The program would allow a person at the time of the original or renewal of registration of a vehicle to voluntarily indicate that a driver of the vehicle may be deaf or hard of hearing and further allow a peace officer to access that information when accessing other information about the vehicle. The department would be prohibited from indicating, in any manner, the information provided pursuant to the program on a driver’s license, certificate of ownership, registration card, or license plate.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 5.4 (commencing with Section 4630) is added to Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Vehicle Code, to read:
Article  5.4. Voluntary Deaf or Hard of Hearing Notification Program

4630.
 (a) There is, within the department, the Voluntary Deaf or Hard of Hearing Notification Program.
(b) For purposes of this article, “program” shall mean the Voluntary Deaf or Hard of Hearing Notification Program.

4632.
 The department shall administer the program to do all of the following:
(a) Allow a person at the time of the original or renewal of registration of a vehicle to voluntarily indicate that a driver of the vehicle may be deaf or hard of hearing.
(b) Place a notification in the record of the vehicle registration consistent with the information provided pursuant to subdivision (a).
(c) Provide a peace officer access to the information provided pursuant to subdivision (a) when accessing other information about the vehicle.

4634.
 The department shall not indicate, in any manner, the information provided pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4362 on a driver’s license, certificate of ownership, registration card, or license plate.

4636.
 This article shall not be interpreted to impose any liability on a person or business assisting in the completion of a vehicle registration form for failure to enroll a vehicle in the program.

4638.
 The article shall become operative on July 1, 2020.