BILL NUMBER: SB 1453	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 24, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Price

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    An act to relating to public social services. 
 An act to add Section 1656.6 to the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1453, as amended, Price.  CalWORKs and food stamps.
  Vehicles: digital electronic license plates. 

   Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon the
registration of a vehicle, to issue to the owner of the vehicle,
license plates meeting specified requirements for the vehicle. 

   This bill would authorize the department to take specified actions
for the purposes of developing and evaluating the use of digital
electronic license plates, as defined. The bill would authorize the
department to contract with a private vendor for the purposes of
researching, developing, acquiring, and utilizing the digital
electronic license plates. If the department implements a multiyear
pilot program, the bill would require the department to submit to the
Legislature an interim report on the progress of the pilot program
one year after the implementation of the pilot program and a final
report one year prior to the termination of the pilot program. 

   Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and
other social services to needy families through the California Work
Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using
federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant
program, state, and county funds. Under existing law, the county is
required to annually redetermine eligibility for CalWORKs benefits.
 
   Existing law additionally requires the county to redetermine
recipient eligibility and grant amounts on a quarterly basis, using
prospective budgeting, and to prospectively determine the grant
amount that a recipient is entitled to receive for each month of the
quarterly reporting period. Existing law requires a CalWORKs
recipient to report to the county, orally or in writing, specified
changes that could affect the amount of aid to which the recipient is
entitled. Under existing law, the CalWORKs quarterly reporting
system is also implemented by the State Department of Social Services
in administering the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, which is administered in California as the Food Stamp
program. Under the Food Stamp program, each county distributes
nutrition assistance benefits to eligible households. 

   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact
Legislation that would reform fingerprinting, asset limitation, and
reporting requirements under the CalWORKs program and the Food Stamp
program. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    The Legislature finds and declares both
of the following:  
   (a) The Department of Motor Vehicles, by virtue of its interaction
with millions of California drivers and vehicle owners each year,
represents a valuable resource to the state and an important public
safety advocate and partner.  
   (b) The department, like all state agencies and departments, will
experience budget reductions, furloughs, and other cost-saving
measures aimed at alleviating the current and expected budget
financial crisis of the state. 
   SEC. 2.    Section 1656.6 is added to the  
Vehicle Code   , to read:  
   1656.6.  (a) The department may consider the use and development
of existing or emerging technologies for the creation of a digital
electronic license plate for the purpose of generating revenue for
the department and state.
   (b) For the purposes of developing and evaluating the use of a
digital electronic license plate, the department may enter into any
of the following:
   (1) A request for proposals.
   (2) A memorandum of understanding.
   (3) A pilot program.
   (4) A letter of intent.
   (5) Other instruments deemed appropriate by the department.
   (c) (1) The development of a digital electronic license plate
shall be done at little or no cost to the department.
   (2) The department may enter into a contract with a private vendor
for the purposes of researching, developing, acquiring, and
utilizing a digital electronic license plate.
   (d) If the department implements a multiyear pilot program, the
department shall do both of the following:
   (1) One year after the implementation of the pilot program, submit
to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code
an interim report on the progress of the pilot program.
   (2) One year prior to the end of the pilot program, submit to the
Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code a final
report on the pilot program containing all of the following
information:
   (A) The number of digital electronic license plates issued.
   (B) The effects of the use of the digital electronic license
plates on traffic safety.
   (C) The revenues to the state generated by the use of the digital
electronic license plates, if any.
   (D) Cost savings realized by the department through improved
efficiency in the registration of vehicles, if any.
   (E) Recommendations on the future use of digital electronic
license plates.
   (e) For purposes of this section, "digital electronic license
plate" is a license plate that may be used secondarily as a mobile
message display unit and that complies with the applicable section of
the Vehicle Code while in vehicle identification mode. 

  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact Legislation that would reform fingerprinting, asset
limitation, and reporting requirements under the CalWORKs program and
the Food Stamp program.