BILL NUMBER: AB 1658	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 11, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Gatto
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Jeffries   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2012

   An act to add Section 5004.3 to the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1658, as amended, Gatto. Vehicles: specialized license plates.
    Under existing law, the Department of Motor Vehicles issues
environmental and other specialized license plates. The issuance of
some of those license plates is subject to additional fees.
   This bill would require the department to  create
  establish  the California Legacy License Plate
Program, and  to  create and issue a series of specialized
license plates that replicate plates from the  states
  state's  past, if  2,500  
7,500  applications for the plates are received and held by the
department, on or before January 1, 2014. The bill would require
that, upon determination by the department that there are sufficient
funds for the program, moneys  would  be available,
upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for the
necessary administrative costs of establishing the program and, as to
any remaining moneys, for deposit into the California Environmental
License Plate Fund for appropriation by the Legislature pursuant to
existing law.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 5004.3 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
   5004.3.  (a) Subject to subdivision (c), the department shall
establish the California Legacy License Plate Program and create and
issue a series of specialized license plates known as California
Legacy License Plates that replicate the look of California license
plates from the state's past. The design of the plates shall be
identical  , to the extent the department determines it to be
reasonably feasible under current manufacturing processes,  to a
regular license plate, except as provided in subdivision (b).
   (b) The California Legacy License Plates shall consist of one or
more of the following designs:
   (1) Yellow background with black lettering per the appearance of
California license plates issued by the department in the 1950s.
   (2) Black background with yellow lettering per the appearance of
California license plates issued by the department in the 1960s.
   (3) Blue background with yellow lettering per the appearance of
California license plates issued by the department in the 1980s.
   (c) In addition to the regular fees for an original registration
or renewal of registration, the following additional fees shall be
paid for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the specialized
license plates:
   (1) Fifty dollars ($50) for the original issuance of the plates.
   (2) Forty dollars ($40) for a renewal of registration with the
plates.
   (3) Fifteen dollars ($15) for transfer of the plates to another
vehicle.
   (4) Thirty-five dollars ($35) for each substitute replacement
plate.
   (d) The department shall not issue  a  California
Legacy License Plates for a vehicle that is exempt from the payment
of registration fees pursuant to Section 9101 or 9103.
   (e) (1) The department shall not establish the California Legacy
License Plate Program until the department has received not less than
 2,500   7,500  paid applications for
plates. The department shall collect and hold applications for the
plates. The department shall not issue a specialized license plate
until it has received not less than  2,500  
7,500 paid applications for the particular plates within the
time period prescribed in this section.
   (2) The department shall have until January 1, 2014, to receive
the required number of applications. If, after that date, 
2,500   7,500  paid applications have not been
received, the department shall immediately refund to all applicants
all fees or deposits that have been collected.
   (f) (1) Upon determination by the department that there are
sufficient funds for the program, moneys shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for the necessary
administrative costs of establishing the California Legacy License
Plate Program.
   (2) After deducting its administrative costs under this
subdivision, the department shall deposit any additional revenue
derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of the
specialized license plates into the California Environmental License
Plate Fund, for appropriation by the Legislature pursuant to
existing law.