Amended in Assembly April 6, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 31, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 15, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2131


Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 17, 2016


An act to add Section 5173 to the Vehicle Code, relating to license plates, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2131, as amended, Maienschein. Specialized license plates.

Existing law establishes a specialized license plate program and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue specialized license plates on behalf of a sponsoring state agency that meets certain requirements. Existing law requires that the department charge specified additional fees for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of specialized license plates, and requires the DMV to deposit the fees, less the DMV’s costs, into the Specialized License Plate Fund. Existing law requires that moneys in the fund be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each sponsoring agency in proportion to the amount that is attributable to the agency’s specialized license plate program. Existing law requires the sponsoring state agency to use these moneys exclusively to fund projects and programs that promote the state agency’s official policy, mission, or work. Existing law establishes the Food Bank Advisory Committee and requires the committee to advise the Department of Food and Agriculture on the establishment of new food banks and to advise on the adequate and efficient distribution of surplus food commodities to all areas of the state.

This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to apply to the DMV to sponsor an Imagine license plate bearing an image of John Lennonbegin delete on a light-blue background with cloudsend delete and the word “Imagine” under the numerical series. The bill would direct the DMV to deposit the additional revenue from these license plates into the Imagine Account, which the bill would create. The bill would continuously appropriate moneys in the Imagine Account to the Department of Food and Agriculture for allocation tobegin delete the California Association of Food Banks and further distributionend deletebegin insert a nonprofit organization for the purpose of funding grantsend insert to local food banks. The bill would require thebegin delete California Association of Food Banksend deletebegin insert Department of Food and Agricultureend insert to determine eligibility requirements for food banks receiving the funds under the Imagine program and to develop program specifics. The bill would authorize thebegin delete California Association of Food Banksend deletebegin insert Department of Food and Agricultureend insert to contract with an entity, including a nonprofit organization, to provide advice, consultation, and administrative services for purposes of implementing and administering the Imagine program.begin delete The bill would require the Department of California Highway Patrol to approve the design of the Imagine specialized license plate prior to production, as specified.end deletebegin insert The bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to provide oversight for the program and would limit the nonprofit selected by the department from using more than 5 percent of the moneys received for its administrative costs.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 5173 is added to the Vehicle Code, to
2read:

3

5173.  

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the revenue
4from the “Imagine” license plates issued pursuant to this section
5be used to helpbegin insert food banksend insert end hunger in California.

6(b) The Department of Food and Agriculture shall apply to the
7department to sponsor the Imagine license plate program pursuant
8to this article.

P3    1(c) Except for environmental license plate fees, the fees specified
2in Section 5157 shall be imposed for the issuance, renewal, or
3transfer of the Imagine license plates. Imagine license plates may
4be issued as environmental license plates with no additional fee.

5(d) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 5157, after
6deducting its administrative costs, the department shall deposit the
7revenue derived from the additional fees into the Imagine Account,
8which is hereby established in the Specialized License Plate Fund.
9Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all
10moneys in the account are continuously appropriated without regard
11to fiscal years to the Department of Food and Agriculture for the
12purposes specified in this section. The Department of Food and
13Agriculture shall allocate these funds tobegin delete the California Association
14of Food Banks, which shall distribute the funds to local food banks,end delete

15begin insert a nonprofit organization that has authorization to utilize the image
16described in subdivision (e), for the sole and exclusive purpose of
17funding food banksend insert
in accordance with paragraph (2), to help end
18hunger in California.

19(2) Thebegin delete California Association of Food Banksend deletebegin insert Department of
20Food and Agricultureend insert
shall determine eligibility requirements for
21food banks receiving funds through thebegin delete Department of Food and
22Agriculture’send delete
Imagine program and develop program specifics.
23Thebegin delete California Association of Food Banksend deletebegin insert Department of Food
24and Agricultureend insert
may contract with an entity, including a nonprofit
25organization, to provide advice, consultation, and administrative
26services for purposes of implementing and administering the
27begin delete Imagineend deletebegin insert grantend insert program.begin insert The Department of Food and Agriculture
28shall provide oversight for the Imagine program.end insert

begin insert

29
(3) The nonprofit organization selected by the Department of
30Food and Agriculture shall not use more than 5 percent of the
31moneys received pursuant to this section for administrative costs.

end insert

32(e)  License plates issued pursuant to this section shall contain
33begin delete of a full-plate graphic of a light-blue sky with clouds and, in the
34area described in Section 5155,end delete
an image of abegin delete duly-licensedend deletebegin insert duly
35licensedend insert
self-portrait of Johnbegin delete Lennon.end deletebegin insert Lennon to the left of the
36numerical series.end insert
The license plates shall also bear the word
37“Imagine” under the numerical series. The department shall obtain
38the necessary consent from the persons described in subdivision
39(c) of Section 3344.1 of the Civil Code.

begin delete

P4    1(f) The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall
2approve the design of the Imagine specialized license plate for
3legibility, reflectivity, and visibility prior to production.

end delete


O

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