BILL ANALYSIS
SB 88
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 88 (DeSaulnier)
As Amended June 29, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE : Vote not relevant
TRANSPORTATION 12-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, |
| |Jeffries, | |Bradford, |
| |Bill Berryhill, | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Blumenfield, Buchanan, | |Davis, |
| |Eng, Furutani, Galgiani, | |De Leon, Gatto, Hall, |
| |Hayashi, Miller, Niello, | |Harkey, Miller, Nielsen, |
| |Portantino | |Norby, Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Torrico |
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SUMMARY : Increases fees related to the California firefighter
license plate program; provides for the plates to be used as
family heirlooms. Specifically, this bill :
1)States legislative findings and declarations regarding the
California Firefighters' Memorial Fund and the California
firefighter license plate program.
2)Increases, by $15, fees related to the firefighter license
plate program, as follows:
a) From $35 to $50 for the initial issuance of the special
license plate; and,
b) From $20 to $35 for each registration renewal.
3)Allows a surviving spouse, upon the death of the person who
had been issued a firefighter license plate, to retain the
plate.
4)Requires the plate to be returned to the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) within 60 days of the death of the surviving
spouse or upon its expiration, whichever occurs first, except
as noted below.
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5)Allows a member of the deceased firefighter's family, in the
absence of a surviving spouse or where the surviving spouse
dies while in possession of the special license plates, to
retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom,
but provides that such plates are not valid for vehicle
registration purposes.
6)Defines, for these purposes, "family" to mean grandparents,
stepgrandparents, parents, stepparents, siblings,
stepsiblings, stepchildren, natural-born children, or adopted
children of the person issued the firefighter license plates.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes a special vehicle license plate program in honor
of active or retired firefighters.
2)Prescribes eligibility requirements for applicants of the
program to include, for example, that the applicant is, or has
retired, in good standing as an officer, employee, or
volunteer of a fire department or a fire service in the state
or any other political subdivision of the state.
3)Imposes additional registration fees of $35 for the initial
issuance of the special plate and $20 for each registration
renewal.
4)Provides that, upon the death of the person issued the special
license plate, the special plates may be transferred to the
surviving spouse upon request. Absent a request for transfer
within 60 days after the death of the plateholder, the plates
must be returned to DMV.
5)Directs the net revenue from the fees for the special plates
to the California Firefighters' Memorial Fund.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis, there will be additional fee revenue of
about $500,000 for the California Firefighter Memorial Fund and
no significant costs to DMV.
COMMENTS : The California Firefighter license plate is intended
to generate funds for the California Firefighter's Memorial
Fund, which provides critically needed assistance to the
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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 an
array of victim assistance and public education programs.
The author of this bill points out that, "It has been over a
decade since the firefighter license plate program was first
launched. Since then, fees associated with the purchase or
renewal of the plates have not increased, while the demand in
services rendered by the California Fire Foundation has
increased dramatically." This bill therefore raises the fees
for initial issuance and renewal of these plates from $35 and
$20 respectively to $50 and $35 respectively.
Citing the length of a surviving spouse's grieving process, the
author further contends that the current 60-day period during
which firefighter plates may be transferred from a deceased
plate holder to his or her spouse is inadequate. This bill
therefore eliminates that window so that a grieving spouse is
granted a reasonable amount of time to initiate the plate's
transfer. In the absence of a surviving spouse, or where the
surviving spouse dies while in possession of the special license
plates, the bill authorizes a member of the deceased
firefighter's family to retain one of the special license plates
as a family memento.
Related legislation: SB 1295 (Dutton), currently on the Senate
floor, would grant similar transfer privileges to the family
members of deceased Army Medal of Honor, Navy Medal of Honor,
Air Force Medal of Honor, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy
Cross, Air Force Cross, or Purple Heart license plate holders.
Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0005686