BILL NUMBER: AB 647	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 22, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Yamada

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2009

   An act to amend Section 4465 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 647, as amended, Yamada. Vehicles: registration and title
information.
   Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to furnish
the legal owner of record of a vehicle, upon his or her request,
information regarding the current registration status of the vehicle,
including the license plate number and address of the registered
owner of the vehicle. Existing law also authorizes the department to
charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this information.
   Existing federal law establishes the National Motor Vehicle Title
Information System (NMVTIS) program in the United States Department
of Justice  (DOJ)  to provide an electronic means to verify
and exchange titling, brand, and theft data among motor vehicle
administrators, law enforcement officials, prospective purchasers,
and insurance carriers in participating states.
   This bill would  state the intent of the Legislature that
the Department of Motor Vehicles fully comply with the federal Anti
Car Theft Act of 1992. The bill would state the further intent of the
Legislature that on and after May 10, 2010, a contract entered into
by the department to provide information from the NMVTIS would
include consumer access in full compliance with the act 
 require the department to be in full compliance with the federal
Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 and the DOJ's rules governing the federal
National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), and to
eliminate any restrictions to consumer access to titling, branding,
and theft information provided by the department to NMVTIS, by
January 1, 2010, to ensure that prospective purchasers have instant
and reliable access to California's data  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    The Legislature finds and declares all
of the following:  
   (a) The electronic National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
(NMVTIS) is a national federally mandated vehicle history database
maintained by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure
that all states, law enforcement agencies, and consumers have access
to titling, branding, and theft information that will enable them to
verify the accuracy and legality of motor vehicle titles before
transfer or registration of the vehicle occurs.  
   (b) The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) currently restricts the
release of the information it provides to NMVTIS to law enforcement
agencies and other governmental agencies. Consumers are presently
unable to access this information from NMVTIS and the DMV.  

   (c) NMVTIS requires that prospective purchasers have instant and
reliable access to titling, branding, and theft data in the NMVTIS
system.  
   (d) The DMV is currently working to comply with the federal law to
provide titling, branding, and theft data so that consumer access
may be provided by the American Association of Motor Vehicles
Administrators (AAMVA), the system operator for NMVTIS. The DMV has
stated that it plans to allow full consumer access to the information
it is providing to NMVTIS by November 30, 2009, in compliance with
DOJ rules. 
   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.   Section 4465 of
the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   4465.  (a) A legal owner of record of a vehicle may request, and
the department shall furnish, information regarding the current
registration status of the vehicle, including the license plate
number and address of the registered owner of the vehicle. The
department may charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this
information. 
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department fully
comply with the federal Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-519). It is the further intent of the Legislature that on and
after May 10, 2010, a contract entered into by the department to
provide information from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information
System would include consumer access in full compliance with the
Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-519).  
   (b) The department shall be in full compliance with the federal
Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-519) and the United States
Department of Justice (DOJ) rules governing the federal National
Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) (49 U.S.C. Sec. 30501
et seq.), and shall eliminate any restrictions to consumer access to
titling, branding, and theft information provided by the department
to NMVTIS, by January 1, 2010, to ensure that prospective purchasers
have instant and reliable access to California's data.