BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 88
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 4, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   SB 88 (DeSaulnier) - As Amended:  June 29, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:10-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill raises fees for the California Firefighter license  
          plate and establishes a new procedure for its retention by a  
          spouse following the death of the firefighter. Specifically, the  
          bill:

          1)Increases the original issuance fee for the California  
            Firefighter license plate from $35 to $50, and increases the  
            renewal fee for the license plate from $20 to $35.

          2)Allows the surviving spouse to retain the plate upon the death  
            of the firefighter to whom it was issued. Currently, the  
            transfer only occurs if the spouse makes a request within 60  
            days of the firefighter's death.

          3)Provides that, in the absence of a surviving spouse (or in  
            circumstances where the spouse dies while in possession of the  
            plate), a family member may retain the plate as a family  
            heirloom.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Additional fees of about $500,000 for the California  
            Firefighter Memorial Fund (special fund).

          2)No significant costs to DMV.

           COMMENTS  
           
          1)Background  . The California Firefighter license plate is one of  
            several special interest plates that DMV is authorized to  








                                                                  SB 88
                                                                  Page  2

            issue to qualified applicants. The additional fees generated  
            from the issuance and renewal of the plates (ranging from $15  
            to $90 above the basic registration fee, depending on the  
            plate) are designated by law for various purposes, such as  
            environmental causes, veterans' organizations, and public  
            safety organizations.

            The Firefighters plate is available to active or retired  
            firefighters and their spouses. The fees collected for these  
            plates support the California Firefighter's Memorial Fund,  
            which provides assistance to the California Fire Foundation, a  
            nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The Foundation  
            provides emergency assistance and support to families of  
            fallen firefighters and is involved in various victim  
            assistance and public education programs.

           2)Purpose  . The bill is intended to raise additional revenues for  
            California Fire Foundation. The author indicates that the fees  
            have not been raised since the program was first launched over  
            a decade ago, and the demand for services rendered by the  
            Foundation has increased dramatically. He also asserts that  
            the provision allowing the plate to be automatically retained  
            by the spouse following the death of a firefighter removes an  
            unreasonable 60 day time limit that a grieving spouse  
            currently faces for requesting a transfer following the death  
            of the firefighter.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081