Bill Text: CA SB1112 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 1112 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Specialized license plates: support services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-08-16 - August 16 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB1112 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB1112-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate May 25, 2018

Amended IN Senate March 22, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1112

Introduced by Senator Roth

February 13, 2018

An act to amend Section 5155 of, and to add Section 5164 to, the Vehicle Code, relating to license plates.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1112, as amended, Roth. Specialized license plates: support services.

Existing law establishes a specialized license plate program and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue specialized license plates if a sponsoring state agency meets certain requirements. Existing law requires that the DMV charge specified additional fees for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of specialized license plates, and requires the DMV to deposit the fees, less the DMV’s costs, into the Specialized License Plate Fund. Existing law requires that moneys in the fund be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each sponsoring agency in proportion to the amount that is attributable to the agency’s specialized license plate program. Existing law requires the sponsoring state agency to use these moneys to fund projects and programs that promote the state agency’s official policy, mission, or work, except as specified.

This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to apply to the DMV to sponsor a housing supportive services specialized license plate program, as specified. The bill would establish the Housing Supportive Services Account in the Specialized License Plate Fund and would, notwithstanding the fee provisions described above, require the DMV to deposit fees for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the housing supportive services license plates in that account. The bill would require funds in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be used by the Department of Housing and Community Development to ~~award grants to entities participating in the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program and the No Place Like Home Program to provide~~ fund the supportive services to the targeted populations served by ~~those housing programs.~~ the Housing for a Healthy California program.

Existing law, with certain exceptions, imposes certain design criteria for specialized license plates, including, among other things, that the license plate provide a space not larger than ~~two~~ 2 inches by ~~three~~ 3 inches to the left of the numerical series and a space not larger than ~~five-eighths~~⁵/₈ of an inch in height below the numerical series for a distinctive design, decal, or descriptive message.

This bill, notwithstanding these provisions, would authorize the inclusion of the hashtag symbol within the alpha-numeric sequence of the license plate for purposes of the housing supportive services license plate, as specified. The bill would authorize an applicant for a housing supportive services specialized license plate to request a specialized license plate character sequence determined by the applicant that includes the hashtag symbol, as specified. The bill would require DMV to cooperate with representatives of the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Prison Industry Authority to design the final shape and dimension of the symbol for these license plates.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Section 5155 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

5155.

The design criteria for a specialized license plate are as follows:

(a) Except as provided in ~~Section~~ Sections 5161 and 5164, the license plate for a passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, or trailer shall provide a space not larger than two inches by three inches to the left of the numerical series and a space not larger than five-eighths of an inch in height below the numerical series for a distinctive design, decal, or descriptive message as authorized by this article. The license plates shall be issued in sequential numerical order or, pursuant to Section 5103, in a combination of numbers or letters.

(b) Specialized license plates authorized under this article may be issued for use on a motorcycle. That license plate shall contain a five-digit configuration issued in sequential numerical order or, pursuant to Section 5103, in a combination of numbers or letters. There shall be a space to the left of the numerical series for a distinctive design or decal and the characters shall contrast sharply with the uniform background color. A motorcycle plate containing a full plate graphic design is not authorized.

SEC. 2.

Section 5164 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

5164.

(a) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall apply to the department to sponsor a housing supportive services specialized license plate program pursuant to Section 5156.

(b) The fees specified in Section 5157 shall be imposed for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the housing supportive services specialized license plates. Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 5157, after deducting its administrative costs, the department shall deposit the revenue derived from the additional fees into the Housing Supportive Services Account, which is hereby established in the Specialized License Plate Fund. The funds in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be used by the Department of Housing and Community Development to award grants to entities participating in the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program and the No Place Like Home Program to provide supportive services to the targeted populations served by those housing programs. fund the supportive services to the targeted populations served by the Housing for a Healthy California program.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 5155, the housing supportive services license plate shall be distinct from other existing license plates by the inclusion of a well within the portion of the license plate that has the alpha-numeric sequence. The well may be placed in any position within that portion of the license plate. A hashtag symbol shall be imprinted within the well itself. However, for purposes of processing the alpha-numeric sequence, the symbol within the well shall be read as a blank within the alpha-numeric sequence. An applicant for a housing supportive services specialized license plate may request a specific character sequence that includes the hashtag symbol, in accordance with instructions which shall be provided by the department. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall cooperate with representatives of the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Prison Industry Authority to design the final shape and dimension of the symbol for these license plates.