BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: ab 1855
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: yamada
VERSION: 4/20/10
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 15, 2010
SUBJECT:
Disabled parking placards
DESCRIPTION:
This bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to advise an
applicant for a disabled parking placard of the procedures to
apply for a disabled or disabled veteran license plate and for
the registration fee and vehicle license fee (VLF) exemptions
available to disabled veterans.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law allows a person with disabilities or a disabled
veteran to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
either for a special license plate or parking placard that
entitles the person to park free and for unlimited time periods
in disabled parking spaces, at parking meters, in time-limited
spaces, and in permit parking zones. A disabled veteran is also
exempt from paying registration fees and VLF on a vehicle.
This bill requires DMV to advise an applicant for a disabled
parking placard of the procedure to apply for a disabled or
disabled veteran license plate and to apply for the registration
fee and VLF exemptions available to disabled veterans. The DMV
shall include this information on the application for a disabled
parking placard itself.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose of the bill . DMV's procedures for the issuance and
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renewal of disabled placards and plates require persons with
disabilities to complete an "Application for Disabled Person
Placard or Plates." In order to qualify for a waiver from
registration fees and VLF, a permanently disabled veteran must
also complete a "Miscellaneous Certifications" form.
According to the author, the problem is that the Application
for Disabled Person Placard or Plates does not direct a
permanently disabled veteran to the Miscellaneous
Certifications form and that DMV personnel do not ask an
applicant if he or she is a veteran. In addition, DMV's
website has the forms in two completely separate places, and
the title of the Miscellaneous Certifications form does not
make clear that it relates to a fee exemption for disabled
veterans. As a result, many veterans miss out on the
registration fee and VLF exemptions. This bill is intended to
help disabled veterans locate the necessary form and obtain
the registration fee and VLF exemptions to which they are
entitled.
2.DMV is working on it . In a February 16, 2010 letter to the
bill's author, DMV Director George Valderde stated, "Based on
your comments, the Department is in the process of revising
the Disabled Person Placard or Plates form to include a note
at the top of the form. The note will inform disabled
veterans to use the appropriate form and letter from DVA if
qualified for a no-fee DV license plate." As of the writing
of this analysis, DMV is in the midst of revising its form but
has not completed the final revision.
3.Chaptering amendments . This bill has chaptering conflicts
with SB 1318 (Transportation and Housing Committee) and AB
1944 (Fletcher). In order to resolve these conflicts, the
author will need to make chaptering amendments either in
committee or at a later date.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 76-0
Appr: 17-0
Trans: 13-0
RELATED LEGISLATION
SB 1318 (Transportation and Housing Committee), among other
things, allows a driver to display a disabled parking placard by
inserting it in a clip installed by the manufacturer for that
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purpose, as opposed to just from the rearview mirror or on the
dashboard. In the Assembly Transportation Committee.
AB 1944 (Fletcher) establishes new requirements for the issuance
of a disabled veteran license plate. In the Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 9, 2010)
SUPPORT: One individual
OPPOSED: None received.