SB 1453 Senate Bill

BILL NUMBER: SB 1453	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 14, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 24, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Price
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Ma   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

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



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1453, as amended, Price. 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 
 exploring the utilization of  the digital electronic
license plates.  If the department implements a multiyear
pilot program, the   The  bill would require the
department  , on or before January 1, 2012,  to submit to
the Legislature an interim report on the progress of  the
pilot program one year after the implementation of the pilot program
  its investigation on the utilization of the digital
electronic license plates  and a final report  one year
prior to the termination of the pilot program   , on or
before January 1, 2013, on its investigation  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: 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   as are  all
state agencies and departments,  will experience 
 is experiencing  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 
potential  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) 
    (3)  A letter of intent. 
   (5) 
    (4) 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) 
    (c)  The department may enter into a contract with a
private vendor for the purposes of researching, developing,
acquiring, and  utilizing   exploring the
utilization of  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.
 
   (d) The department shall do both of the following:  
   (1) On or before January 1, 2012, submit to the Legislature
pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code an interim report on
the progress of its investigation of the utilization of digital
electronic licence plates.  
   (2) On or before January 1, 2013, submit to the Legislature
pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code a final report on its
investigation of the utilization of digital electronic license
plates containing all of the following information:  
   (A) An explanation of how digital electric license plates could
function as both a vehicle identifier and a mobile message display
unit, including all of the following:  
   (i) Restrictions the department may impose upon the message
displayed on the digital electronic license plate.  
   (ii) The control that a registered owner may have over the message
displayed on the digital electronic license plate.  
   (iii) The control that a legal owner may have over the message
displayed on the digital electronic license plate.  
   (iv) Options for the driver of the vehicle to display and to
change the messages displayed on the digital electronic license
plate. 
   (B) The effects of the use of the digital electronic license
plates on traffic safety  , including, in consultation with the
Department of California Highway Patrol, a consideration of the
onroad safety impacts of digital electronic license plates through
onroad testing of these plates authorized by the Department of the
California Highway Patrol  .
   (C) The revenues to the state  that may be  generated by
the use of the digital electronic license plates, if any.
   (D) Cost savings  that may be  realized by the department
through improved efficiency in the registration of vehicles, if any.

   (E) The security and reliability of the digital electronic license
plates.  
   (E) 
    (F)  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   Article 7 (commencing with
Section 4850) of Chapter 1 of Division 3  while in vehicle
identification mode.