BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1338 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 13, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION Jim Frazier, Chair AB 1338 (Gomez) - As Introduced February 27, 2015 SUBJECT: Specialized license plates: domestic violence and sexual assault awareness SUMMARY: Directs a portion of the revenue generated from the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness Specialized License Plate Program to be used for sexual assault awareness programs, as specified. EXISTING LAW: 1)Allows any state agency to apply to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to sponsor a specialized license plate program. 2)Requires DMV to issue specialized license plates for that program if the agency complies with all statutory requirements. 3)Prohibits DMV from establishing a specialized license plate program for an agency until it has received not less than 7,500 paid applications for that agency's specialized license plates. AB 1338 Page 2 4)Requires State Office of Emergency Services (OES) to apply to DMV to sponsor a domestic violence and sexual assault awareness license plate program and requires funds from the program to be used to fund the OES Family Violence Prevention Program. 5)Establishes the Family Prevention Program within OES to provide financial assistance to local domestic and family violence centers in implementing family violence prevention programs. 6)Requires OES to provide grants to sexual assault services programs that provide a variety of services to victims of sexual assault, as specified. FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown COMMENTS: Last session, AB 2321 (Gomez) Chapter 358, Statutes of 2014, required OES to sponsor a specialized license plate program with the revenues generated from the program to be used to promote awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault and to also provide additional funding for the OES-administered Family Violence Prevention Program. The author introduced AB 2321 help to provide proper attention and funding to domestic and sexual violence, both severe public health problems. According to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. Additionally, the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence further has reported that 40% of California women experience physical violence with a partner over their lifetime. AB 1338 will rename the specialized license plate fund created under AB 2321to the California Domestic Violence and Sexual AB 1338 Page 3 Assault Prevention Fund and clarify that revenue generated from the specialized license plate program be allocated to existing OES-administered domestic violence and sexual assault programs. The author notes the programs that will be funded under the specialized license plate revenue are "designed to ensure that all victims of sexual assault and rape receive comprehensive quality services and aimed to decrease the incidence of sexual assault in California. Additionally, the changes outlined in this bill will help ensure that the program enacted under AB 2321 is administered as intended." Previous legislation: AB 2321 (Gomez), Chapter 358, Statutes of 2014, required OES to apply to the DMV to sponsor a domestic violence and sexual assault awareness specialized license plate program. Established the California Domestic Violence Prevention Fund and specified funds shall be allocated to OES for purposes of funding the Family Violence Prevention Program. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support California Partnership to End Domestic Violence California State Association of Counties Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California AB 1338 Page 4 Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093