BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 498
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 498 (Hayashi)
          As Amended  August 17, 2010
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |72-1 |(January 27,    |SENATE: |34-0 |(August 19,    |
          |           |     |2010)           |        |     |2010)          |
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          Original Committee Reference:   TRANS.   

           SUMMARY  :  Requires the development of a special license plate  
          for former prisoners of war (POWs) that does not identify the  
          status of the plate holders as former POWs.  

           The Senate amendments  :

          1)Strike all the provisions previously included in this bill.

          2)Make legislative declarations and findings, including an  
            acknowledgement that due to the experience of being held  
            captive, there are ex-POWs that appreciate the vehicle  
            registration fee exemption provided in the Vehicle Code in  
            recognition of their service, but for personal reasons, would  
            prefer not to have their ex-POW status displayed on their  
            vehicle license plates.  

          3)Require the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in  
            consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs and  
            veterans' service organizations, to design and make available  
            for issuance a special environmental design license plate for  
            former American prisoners of war who prefer not to have their  
            former status as a "POW" or "Ex-Prisoner of War" identified by  
            words or other markings or symbols.  

          4)Specify that this provision is not intended to prohibit  
            individuals eligible for the special license plate from  
            selecting the existing POW license plate.  

          5)Require the new plate to 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 statute.   








                                                                  AB 498
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          6)Require the plates to be issued in sequential numerical order  
            or in a combination of numbers or letters.  

          7)Prohibit the plates from identifing "POW" or "Ex-Prisoner of  
            War" by words or other markings or symbols.  

           EXISTING LAW  :  

          1)Allows persons who are a former American POWs to apply for  
            special license plates containing a replica design of the  
            American Prisoner of War Medal followed by the letters "POW"  
            and four numbers.  

          2)Requires these plates issued to also contain the words:   
            "Ex-Prisoner of War."  

          3)Requires DMV to reserve and issue the plates only to persons  
            who show by satisfactory proof former POW status.  

          4)Exempts these plates from the $48 fee normally assessed for  
            issuance of environmental license plates (those where the  
            plates' numbers and letters have been specifically requested  
            by the vehicle owner) as well as the $38 fee normally assessed  
            for the transfer of plates.  

          5)Exempts POW plates from all vehicle registration fees other  
            than for duplicate plates, cards, certificates.  

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill allowed:

          1)Any former American POW who was otherwise eligible for a POW  
            license plate to instead apply for a veterans' organization  
            license plate and decal and be afforded the same fee  
            exemptions as those granted for POW plates.  

          2)The surviving spouses of former POWs to retain the veterans'  
            organization plates.  
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, this bill will involve minor and absorbable costs for  
          DMV.  

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, although former American  
          POWs may obtain special license plate that are exempt from  








                                                                  AB 498
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          vehicle license and registration fees, they have a limited  
          selection of license plates to choose from, all which include  
          the replica of the Ex-POW Medal followed by the letters "POW"  
          and four numbers.  "While ex-POWs are proud of their military  
          service, not all are comfortable advertising that they were a  
          former POW," she reports.  This bill would require the  
          establishment of an alternative license plate for former POWs  
          that does not specifically identify their status as such.  

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :   Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 


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