BILL NUMBER: AB 2489	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hall

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2012

   An act to amend Section 4464 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2489, as introduced, Hall. Vehicles: license plates:
alteration.
   (1) Existing law prohibits a person from displaying upon a vehicle
a license plate altered from its original markings. A violation of
this provision is an infraction.
   This bill would define "altered" to mean defacing the license
plate in any manner designed to avoid visual or electronic capture of
the license plate or its characters and would provide that "defacing"
includes painting over or erasing the reflective coating of a
license plate. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also
increase the penalty to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not
less than $500.
   (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 4464 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   4464.   No   (a)     A
 person shall  not  display upon a vehicle a license
plate  that is  altered from its original markings. 
   (b) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
 
   (1) "Altered" means defacing the license plate in any manner
designed to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate
or its characters.  
   (2) "Defacing" includes, but is not limited to, painting over or
erasing the reflective coating of a license plate.  
   (c) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a
fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500). 
  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.