BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 935
Author: Frazier (D), et al.
Amended: 8/5/14 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 10-0, 6/26/14
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Beall, Cannella, Galgiani, Hueso,
Lara, Liu, Roth, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-0, 8/14/14
AYES: De León, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Walters, Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not relevant
SUBJECT : Driver's licenses: veteran designation
SOURCE : American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service
Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) to offer a driver's license or identification card that
includes the word "VETERAN" on its face.
ANALYSIS : Existing law authorizes DMV to issue driver's
licenses and identification cards. In order to obtain a
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driver's license or identification card, an individual must
provide, among other things, a social security number,
verification of birthdate and legal presence in the U.S., and a
thumb print.
Existing law (AB 60 Alejo, Chapter 524, Statutes of 2013)
requires DMV, beginning January 2015, or upon approval by the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to issue a driver's
license to an individual who is ineligible for a social security
number if the individual can provide additional documentation,
as specified. These licenses are commonly referred to as
"driving privilege only" (DP) licenses, because they cannot be
used for identification purposes. The DP license must include a
recognizable feature on the front of the card, such as the
letters "DP" (driving privilege) instead of "DL" (driver's
license). AB 60 authorizes DMV to initially charge an
additional fee to an individual applying for a DP license, but
DMV has indicated that it will not do so.
This bill:
1.Requires DMV, beginning November 11, 2015, to include in the
driver's license or identification card application or renewal
form, an option to request the word "VETERAN" to be printed on
the face of the driver's license or identification card.
2.Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to
develop a verification form in consultation with the DMV and
the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
to acknowledge verification of veteran status.
3.Requires a county veterans' service office (CVSO) to verify
the applicant's status as a veteran, sign his/her verification
form, and return it to the applicant.
4.Requires DMV to accept the signed verification form as proof
of veteran status.
5.Requires DMV, upon receiving payment and verification of
veteran status from the applicant, to print the word "VETERAN"
on the face of the applicant's driver's license or
identification card, in a location determined by DMV, and
issue the license or card to the applicant.
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6.Requires DMV to charge a fee to each applicant of up to $5 to
cover the costs of issuing a veteran driver's license or
identification card, and authorizes DMV to increase the fee by
regulation to no more than $15.
Comments
An active duty service member carries a military ID. Upon
release from active duty, the military issues a service member a
DD Form 214, Certificate of Release of Discharge from Active
Duty (DD-214), identifying him/her as a veteran. The author's
office notes that this form, similar to a birth certificate, is
not a practical form of identification. The author's office
asserts that allowing veterans to obtain a driver's license or
identification card with a "veteran" designation will enable
them to quickly and easily identify themselves as veterans and
access the services and benefits such as employment, housing,
health, and educational assistance to which they are entitled,
without having to carry the DD-214. The author's office further
states that a veteran driver's license or identification card
would help medical and law enforcement agencies by alerting them
to possible medical trauma such as Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder as a result of a veteran's service.
Other states . Currently, 40 states offer veteran driver's
licenses, and several additional states are considering similar
legislation. Some states require the DD-214, while others
either require additional documentation or accept supplemental
documentation. Some states offer the veteran driver's license
free of charge.
Previous Legislation
Three similar bills have previously been introduced in the
Assembly. Note that all three of these bills required DMV to
charge a fee of an unspecified amount to help cover the costs of
issuing the veteran driver's license or identification card. In
contrast, this bill authorizes DMV to charge a $15 fee.
AB 1637 (Frazier), which was held on the Assembly Appropriations
Committee suspense file earlier this year, is virtually
identical to this bill.
AB 531 (Frazier), which was held on the Assembly Appropriations
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Committee suspense file last year, is virtually identical to
this bill.
AB 1725 (Lowenthal, 2012) which was held on the Assembly
Appropriations Committee suspense file, is virtually identical
to this bill.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Estimated DMV implementation costs of $1.05 million in 2014-15
and 2015-16, and ongoing costs of $775,392 in 2016-17, and
$768,072 in 2017-18. (Motor Vehicle Account)
DMV estimates revenue increases of up to $2.2 million
annually, beginning in 2015-16, assuming approximately 150,000
veterans apply for the veteran designation in their normal
renewal cycle, and 47,000 veterans apply for a duplicate
license outside the normal cycle of renewal (Motor Vehicle
Account). Revenues are expected to taper after several years.
Minor costs to CalVets to develop the form that provides for
verification of veterans status. (General Fund)
Unknown CVSO costs, beginning in 2015-16, to verify veteran
status for an estimated 200,000 veterans annually for several
years. CVSOs receive an annual General Fund allocation of
$2.6 million.
SUPPORT : (Per Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
analysis of 6/9/14--Unable to reverify at time of writing)
American Legion, Department of California (co-source)
AMVETS, Department of California (co-source)
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
(co-source)
California State Commanders Veterans Council (co-source)
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
California Police Chiefs Association
California Professional Firefighters
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Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Military Officers Association of American, California Council of
Chapters
Solano County Board of Supervisors
Town of Danville
VFW, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
JA:e 8/17/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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