BILL ANALYSIS
AB 777
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 777 (Bass) - As Introduced: February 26, 2009
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR), beginning January 1, 2011, to establish
pilot programs at Folsom State Prison and at California State
Prison, Los Angeles County to provide inmates a California
identification card, issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV). DMV would make biannual visits to these two CDCR
facilities to provide identification cards to inmates scheduled
to be released within six months.
(The author has indicated her intention to expand the bill to
four prisons.)
FISCAL EFFECT
Annual costs in the range of $200,000 to support the pilots. The
CDCR would need the equivalent of one position, plus about
$15,000 per institution for additional officer time. DMV would
require about $15,000 per institution for personnel and
equipment.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. According to the author, although there is a
process in place by which DMV provides inmates with
identification to facilitate their transition back into
society, this practice should be enhanced to ensure parolees
are equipped to re-enter society. Currently, if CDCR personnel
provide certification, an inmate may receive a DMV-issued ID
upon release. DMV field agents visit CDCR facilities to take a
photo and collect a fee. DMV indicates its prison visits occur
AB 777
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on a sporadic basis.
2)Current law authorizes DMV to issue an ID card to any person
with proper identifying data. Every application for an ID card
is signed and verified by the applicant before a person
authorized to administer oaths, and must be supported by
evidence of age and identity, including a thumb or finger
print. The fee for an ID card is $20. The fee for an original
or replacement identification card issued for a person below a
specified income level is $6.
3)An almost identical bill, AB 2099 (Hancock) was vetoed last
year , the governor stating that while he agreed with the
concept of assisting parolees, he objected to providing
parolees services not available to the general public:
"As I stated in my veto message of a similar bill last year,
this bill will result in parolees receiving services that are
not currently available to the majority of the general public.
For example, the Department of Motor Vehicles does not perform
the function of determining whether or not members of the
general public have the ability to pay applicable
identification card fees. These services must be applied for
through other governmental or non-profit public assistance
programs."
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081