BILL NUMBER: AB 647	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 27, 2009
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 31, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 9, 2009
	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, 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 require the department, by January 1, 2010, 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), to the extent practicable. The bill also
would require the department, by that date, to eliminate any
restrictions to consumer access to titling, branding, and theft
information provided by the department to NMVTIS, to ensure that
prospective purchasers have instant and reliable access to California'
s data.


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.
  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) (1) By January 1, 2010, 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.), to the extent practicable.
    (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), by January 1, 2010, the
department shall eliminate any restrictions to consumer access to
titling, branding, and theft information provided by the department
to NMVTIS, to ensure that prospective purchasers have instant and
reliable access to California's data.