BILL ANALYSIS
AB 286
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 286 (Salas and Jones)
As Introduced February 13, 2009
Majority vote
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 5-2 TRANSPORTATION 8-5
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|Ayes:|Caballero, Arambula, |Ayes:|Eng, Blumenfield, |
| |Davis, Krekorian, Skinner | |Buchanan, Furutani, |
| | | |Bonnie Lowenthal, John A. |
| | | |Perez, Solorio, Torlakson |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Knight, Duvall |Nays:|Jeffries, Conway, |
| | | |Garrick, Miller, Niello |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Charles | | |
| |Calderon, Davis, Fuentes, | | |
| |Hall, John A. Perez, | | |
| |Price, Skinner, Solorio, | | |
| |Torlakson, Krekorian | | |
| | | | |
|-----+---------------------------+---+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Nielsen, Duvall, Harkey, | | |
| |Miller, | | |
| |Audra Strickland | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Extends until 2018 the existing provisions that allow
counties to impose a $1 vehicle registration fee, and adds
additional reporting requirements for those counties that have
adopted a resolution to impose the fee. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Extends, until January 1, 2018, existing provisions that allow
counties to impose a $1 annual vehicle registration fee to be
used to enhance the capacity of local police and prosecutors
to deter, investigate, and prosecute vehicle theft crimes.
2)Requires the year-end reports that counties compile on the
usage of the fees to also include details of the expenditures
AB 286
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made by the county, including salaries and expenses, purchase
of equipment and supplies, and any other expenditures made
listed by type with an explanatory comment.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Allows counties, until January 1, 2010, to impose a $1 annual
vehicle registration fee in order to fund programs that
enhance the capacity of local police and prosecutors to deter,
investigate, and prosecute vehicle theft crimes.
2)Requires a county board of supervisors to adopt a resolution
in order to impose the $1 fee.
3)Requires a county that has adopted a resolution to impose the
$1 fee to provide a quarterly expenditure and activity report
to the designated statewide Vehicle Theft Investigation and
Apprehension Coordinator in the Department of the California
Highway Patrol (CHP).
4)Requires a county that has adopted a resolution to impose the
$1 fee to issue a fiscal year-end report to the Controller by
August 31 of each year summarizing:
a) The total revenues received by the county from the fee;
b) The total expenditures made by the county;
c) A summary of vehicle theft abatement activities and
other vehicle theft programs funded by the fee;
d) The total number of stolen vehicles recovered and the
value of those vehicles;
e) A comparison of stolen vehicles from the last fiscal
year to the year preceding the last fiscal year; and,
f) Any additional, unexpended fee revenues.
5)Requires the Controller to suspend the fee for one year if the
county fails to submit the fiscal year-end report by November
30 of each year.
6)Authorizes the Controller, in consultation with the CHP, to
suspend the fee for one year if it is determined that the fee
revenues are not being utilized appropriately.
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FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, the continuation of the program would maintain the
registration fee service charge at current levels, resulting in
about $30 million revenues per year for local vehicle theft
prevention programs.
COMMENTS : This bill extends the sunset date on the vehicle
theft prevention fee from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2018,
and makes minor changes to an associated year-end report that
counties submit to the State Controller.
Existing law establishes a basic vehicle registration fee of
$31, plus a $10 surcharge for additional personnel for the
California Highway Patrol as well as several other county-based
surcharges for various other programs. Under SB 2139 (Davis),
Chapter 1670, Statutes of 1990, counties are authorized to
impose a $1 fee to fund a program to deter, investigate and
prosecute vehicle theft. Subsequent legislation has extended
the sunset date three times, with the most recent extension
signed into law in 2004 [AB 1663 (Dutra), Chapter 514].
The author notes that since 1990, over 44 counties have
established vehicle theft suppression programs to combat the
high incidence of auto theft in their regions. Some of the
larger regions, including Los Angeles and San Diego, have
established regional multi-jurisdictional task forces to
coordinate law enforcement efforts against auto thieves.
In 2008, AB 860 (Salas), a bill substantially similar to AB 286,
was vetoed by the Governor due to the Budget delay. The
authority for counties to impose this fee will expire January 1,
2010, and if the Legislature desires to keep the authority and
funding mechanism in place, legislation to extend the sunset
must be signed into law in 2009.
Analysis Prepared by : Debbie Michel / L. GOV. / (916)
319-3958 FN: 0001138