BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1733 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 7, 2014 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mike Gatto, Chair AB 1733 (Quirk-Silva) - As Amended: April 21, 2014 Policy Committee: TransportationVote:16-0 Health Vote: 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes SUMMARY This bill requires each county registrar or recorder to issue birth certificates, without a fee, and requires the DMV to issue, without a fee, an identification card (ID) to applicants who can provide sufficient proof of their housing status as homeless. It also requires the Department of Public Health to develop an affidavit attesting to the fact that a person is homeless, for use by county registrars. FISCAL EFFECT 1)One-time costs in the range of $150,000 to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicle Account) for programming costs to allow for the no-fee ID card, processing and mailing of additional ID cards, revision of publications and forms, establishment of regulations, and development and issuance of memorandum to staff. 2)In January 2013, there were approximately 136,000 homeless individuals in California. If 5% of these individuals requested an identifying document in a given year, costs of: a) $250,000 GF in state-reimbursable mandate costs to account for lost revenue to counties and additional workload. b) Minor revenue loss and additional workload, likely around $100,000 statewide (Motor Vehicle Account) to DMV to AB 1733 Page 2 provide free ID cards. 3)Local registrars have noted concerns with potential abuse of the no-cost option with self-certification of homelessness. This cost estimate does not account for any potential for fraud and abuse. COMMENTS 1)Purpose . According to the author, many people experiencing homelessness lack the necessary forms of personal identification needed to establish their eligibility for various public assistance and social programs. The most common forms of ID that people need in order to access these programs are birth records and a valid, government-issued photo ID card. This bill will allow a person experiencing homelessness to submit an affidavit of homelessness and financial need with an application for birth certificate or a state-issued ID, providing a process by which these fees can be waived. 2)Support . This bill is supported by numerous advocates for homeless and low-income persons. 3)Concerns . Counties have concerns with potential revenue losses suffered as a result of this bill, and also indicate potential for fraud and abuse if a no-cost option is offered with no required verification besides self-attestation. They indicate birth certificates are expensive, between $25 and $30, and point out non-homeless individuals might be tempted to indicate they are homeless in order to receive a free birth certificate. Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081