BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 674
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 674 (Bonilla)
As Amended April 6, 2011
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 9-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Blumenfield, Bonilla, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Buchanan, Eng, Furutani, | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| |Galgiani, Carter, Solorio | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Repeals the sunset date on provisions authorizing
counties to impose a $1 vehicle registration surcharge, thereby
extending the surcharge indefinitely.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes a county board of supervisors to impose a fee of $1
vehicle registration surcharge for purposes of funding
fingerprint identification programs.
2)Requires commercial motor vehicles registered to owners with
addresses in participating counties to pay an additional fee
of $2.
3)Requires participating counties to make findings as to the
purpose of, and the need for, imposing the additional
registration fee, and to identify the date after which the fee
will no longer be imposed.
4)Requires the resulting fee revenues to be continuously
appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, for disbursement
to each participating county based upon the number of
registered vehicles in those counties.
5)Requires fee revenues allocated to a county to be expended
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exclusively to fund programs that enhance the capacity of
local law enforcement to provide automated mobile and fixed
location fingerprint identification of individuals who may be
involved in vehicle-related crimes (e.g., driving under the
influence) and other crimes committed while operating a motor
vehicle.
6)Limits the use of funds generated by the fee to the purchase,
by competitive bidding, and operation of equipment that is
compatible with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Cal-ID
master plan.
7)Requires every participating county to issue a fiscal year-end
report to the California State Controller (Controller),
summarizing the total revenues received by the county, the
total expenditures and encumbered funds received by the
county, any unexpended or unencumbered fee revenues, the
estimated annual cost of the purchase, operation, and
maintenance of automated mobile and fixed location fingerprint
equipment, related infrastructure, law enforcement enhancement
programs, personnel created or utilized, and how the use of
the funds benefits the motoring public.
8)Suspends for one year the fee in any county that fails to
submit this report.
9)Requires the Controller annually to submit to the Legislature
revenue and expenditure summary for each participating county.
10) Repeals these provisions on January 1, 2012.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Continued revenue, about $15 million in fiscal year (FY)
2011-12 and $30 million annually thereafter, to the counties
that participate in the fingerprint identification program and
that impose the surcharge and the fee (Motor Vehicle Account
(MVA).).
2)Continued costs, perhaps $300,000 annually starting in FY
20011-12, to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to
continue to collect the annual surcharge and the quintennial
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service fee; these costs are covered by a DMV processing
charge (MVA.).
3)Continued costs, perhaps $200,000 annually starting in FY
2011-12, to the Controller to allocate fee revenue to
participating counties, to audit counties' use of these funds,
and to annually report to the Legislature; these costs are
covered by a small portion of the revenue generated by the
fees.
4)Minor, one-time programming costs, likely less than $50,000,
to DMV (MVA).
COMMENTS : The DOJ started the Cal-ID program in the late 1980's
to provide a way to verify the identity of persons placed under
arrest and to assist law enforcement agencies in other ways
(e.g., identifying human remains and identifying possible
criminal suspects) using fingerprint evidence gathered at crime
scenes.
Implementation of the Cal-ID was hampered by limited funding for
the technology and equipment needed to participate in the
program. As a result, the Legislature passed SB 720 (Lockyer)
Chapter 587, Statutes of 1997, to authorize counties to impose a
$1 surcharge on vehicle registrations in the county and to use
the money for the Cal-ID program. SB 720 limited the duration
of the program to five years. Subsequent legislation has
extended authorization for the program twice: AB 879 (Keeley)
Chapter 986, Statutes of 2002, extended the program until 2006
(and added reporting requirements) and AB 857 (Bass) Chapter
470, Statutes of 2005, extended the program until January 2012.
According to the sponsors, the Cal-ID program has been a
statewide success. They contend it has saved DOJ countless
hours of manual scanning of inked fingerprint cards. Further,
local law enforcement officials assert that, since the original
legislation, advances in biometric science and technology have
developed to the point that law enforcement can now send and
receive (from the field, even) identification needed to
authenticate individuals using not only fingerprints but also
retinal scans, facial scans and palm-prints and thumbprints.
These advancements offer significant benefits to law
enforcement, such as the ability to:
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1)Authenticate individuals remotely and avoid unnecessary
transfers to a booking facility;
2)Rapidly identify dangerous individuals;
3)Confirm instances of mistaken identities; and,
4)View a DMV driver's license photograph from the field.
Previous legislation:
SB 720 (Lockyer) Chapter 587, Statutes of 1997, originally
authorized the imposition of a $1 fee for the automated
fingerprinting systems, until January 2003.
AB 879 (Keeley) Chapter 986, Statutes of 2002, extended the
program until 2006 (and added reporting requirements).
AB 857 (Bass) Chapter 470, Statutes of 2005, extends the program
until January 2012.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0000955