BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1855|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 1855
Author: Yamada (D)
Amended: 4/20/10 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMM : 8-0, 6/15/10
AYES: Lowenthal, Huff, Ashburn, DeSaulnier, Harman, Kehoe,
Pavley, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Oropeza
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/13/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Disabled parking placards
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : 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 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
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parking meters, in time-limited spaces, and in permit
parking zones. A disabled veteran is also exempt from
paying registration fees and vehicle license fee (VLF) on a
vehicle.
This bill:
1.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.
2.Contains double-jointing language with AB 1944 (Fletcher)
and SB 1318 (Senate Transportation and Housing
Committee).
Comments
DMV's procedures for the issuance and 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.
Related Legislation
SB 1318 (Transportation and Housing Committee), among other
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things, allows a driver to display a disabled parking
placard by inserting it in a clip installed by the
manufacturer for that purpose, as opposed to just from the
rearview mirror or on the dashboard.
AB 1944 (Fletcher) establishes new requirements for the
issuance of a disabled veteran license plate.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Caballero, Norby, Skinner
JA:nl 6/29/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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