BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 390|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 390
Author: Portantino (D)
Amended: 6/9/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/7/11
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Huff, Kehoe, Lowenthal,
Pavley, Rubio, Simitian
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 4/25/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Identification cards: notification of renewal
SOURCE : California Council of the Blind
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Motor
Vehicles, no less than 60 days prior to the expiration date
of an identification card, provide the person with a
written notice of the expiration date.
ANALYSIS : Under existing law, Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) is responsible for issuing driver's licenses
and identification cards. There are two types of
identification cards: a regular card valid for six years
and a senior citizen card for persons 62 years of age or
older valid for 10 years. To apply for an identification
card, a person must provide his/her Social Security number,
verify his/her birth date and legal presence using
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evidentiary documents as required by DMV, give a thumb
print, have one's photograph taken, and pay the application
fee. An applicant must sign and verify an identification
card application before a person authorized to administer
oaths.
DMV may refuse to issue, reissue, or renew an
identification card if DMV determines that the applicant
has knowingly used a false or fictitious name in the
application, the applicant has impersonated another in
applying for the card, or the applicant has knowingly made
a false statement, knowingly concealed a material fact, or
otherwise committed any fraud on any application.
Starting this year, existing law requires DMV to permit the
renewal of identification cards through the mail or
internet. For persons 62 years of age or older, the first
renewal shall be for a 10-year period with a maximum of one
renewal by mail or internet before having to renew
in-person at a DMV field office. The renewals for all
other applicants shall be for a six-year period with a
maximum of two renewals by mail or internet.
This bill requires the DMV, no less than 60 days prior to
the expiration date of an identification card, provide the
person with a written notice of the expiration date.
Comments
Purpose of this bill . Despite numerous design changes and
security enhancements in California identification cards,
it remains difficult for individuals with limited or no
vision to determine the expiration date on their
identification cards.
The sponsor, the California Council of the Blind, explains
that because a person who is visually impaired may not
realize that his/her identification card has expired,
he/she will sometimes encounter difficult situations. For
example, visually impaired travelers have run into
difficulty purchasing train tickets at Amtrak stations
because they were unknowingly carrying expired state
identification cards. The sponsor notes, "�g]iven the
trend toward stricter security procedures for a variety of
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transactions, we can expect such unfortunate incidents to
increase unless California State ID cards are provided
renewal notices in a timely manner."
The sponsor acknowledges that DMV already sends out renewal
notices for identification cards, but states, "because
state regulations don't explicitly require the department
to send renewal notices to holders of ID cards, we are
concerned that this practice could be discontinued at any
time at the sole discretion of the Department �sic]."
The author asserts by ensuring that all Californians
receive renewal information about their identification
cards, this bill will help to prevent unnecessary and
potentially difficult situations that a person may face if
he/she lacks a valid identification card.
DMV's current practice . As of January 1, 2010, there exist
approximately 6,065,359 valid identification cards. In
2010, DMV issued 1,428,725 new and renewal identification
cards. Since establishing the renewal-by-mail program this
year, it sends out renewal notifications to identification
card holders 60 days in advance of the expiration date.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/28/11)
California Council of the Blind (source)
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 4/25/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gatto, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi,
Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries,
Jones, Knight, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Morrell,
Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson,
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Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Ammiano, Donnelly, Furutani, Gordon,
Gorell, Olsen, Vacancy
JJA:kc 6/28/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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