BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 257
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 13, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
SB
257 (Bates) - As Amended June 2, 2015
SENATE VOTE: 40-0
SUBJECT: Vehicles: Gold Star Family license plates.
SUMMARY: Authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to
issue personalized Gold Star Family specialized license plates,
as specified.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires DMV, upon registration of a vehicle, to issue two
fully reflectorized license plates to the registered owner of
the vehicle, as specified.
2)Requires every license plate issued by DMV to have displayed
upon it the registration number assigned to the vehicle for
which it is issued, as specified.
3)Allows a state agency to apply to DMV to sponsor a specialized
license plate program, as specified.
SB 257
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4)Requires specialized license plates to be issued in sequential
order in a combination of letters and numbers, as specified.
5)Authorizes the state Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) to
sponsor a Gold Star family specialized license plate program
and authorizes DMV to issue Gold Star specialized license
plates to vehicles owned by an eligible family member of a
member of the Armed Forces who was killed in the line of duty.
Provides that DMV is authorized to issue the plates in
absence of the 7,500 paid application requirement if
sufficient donations are collected to cover program costs.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: SB 1455 (Cogdill), Chapter 309, Statutes of 2008,
authorized CDVA to sponsor the Gold Star Family license plate,
and exempted CDVA from having to meet the 7,500 paid
applications requirement before plates could be issued.
Instead, SB 1455 allowed CDVA to raise private and public
donations to cover DMV startup costs so that DMV could start
production of the plate. At the time SB 1455 was moving through
the legislative process, DMV staff indicated that the costs of
establishing the plate would be significantly lower if DMV
issued the plate consistent with existing law, that is, in
sequential order rather than as personalized license plates. To
reduce the amount of funds that CDVA would need to raise, SB
1455 specified DMV to issue the Gold Star license plates in
sequential order. CDVA collected the necessary donated funds
and DMV began issuing Gold Star Family specialized license
plates in November 2010. Since November 2010, DMV has issued
733 Gold Star license plates.
SB 257
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To receive Gold Star Family license plates for a vehicle, the
vehicle's registered owner must present proof from either the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense
showing that a family member who was in the Armed Forces of the
United States was killed while on active duty. Further, the
vehicle owner must show satisfactory proof to the CDVA of one of
the following relationships to the person killed while on active
duty:
1)Widow or widower;
2)Biological parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, or foster
parent;
3)Biological child, adoptive child, or stepchild;
4)Sibling or half-sibling;
5)Grandparent; or,
6)Grandchild
SB 257 authorizes DMV to issue personalized Gold Star Family
specialized license plates upon an applicant paying a $48
personalization fee. The fees shall be deposited into the Motor
Vehicle Account and once those fees have covered DMV's cost of
implementing the personalization program, all additional fees
shall be deposited into the Veterans Service Office Fund. The
author states that Gold Star Family members who have lost a
loved one who gave their life in defense of our country should
not be subject to an arbitrary restriction when trying to honor
their fallen family member with a Gold Star Family specialized
license plate. The author further notes that the optional fees
authorized by this measure gives a choice to loved ones who lost
family members in the armed services, but does not require them
to pay the fee in order to participate in the program.
Previous legislation: SB 1455 (Cogdill), Chapter 309, Statutes
SB 257
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of 2008, allowed CDVA to sponsor a Gold Star Family license
plate without meeting the minimum number of applications and
fees to cover DMV's program administrative costs if sufficient
private and public donations are collected.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
American Legion-Department of California
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California Council of Chapters
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Military Officers Association of America
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
Opposition
SB 257
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None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916)
319-2093