BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1202
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Date of Hearing: April 13, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1202 (Jeffries) - As Introduced: February 18, 2011
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:9-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to
provide a discount of an unspecified amount to a person who,
when applying for or renewing his or her driver's license or
identification card, enrolls in the Donate Life California Organ
and Tissue Donor Registry, a registry of organ and tissue
donors. The bill also directs DMV to seek funding from the
federal government to pay for the discount and makes the bill's
other provisions operative only if the state receive such
federal funding.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Potential ongoing costs of an unknown amount, but potentially
in the millions of dollars, in lost driver's license and
identification card revenue. (Motor Vehicle Account (MVA).)
The actual amount of the lost revenue would depend upon the
amount of the discount given to those applying for or renewing
driver's licenses and identification cards who enroll in
Donate Life and the number of enrollees, both of which are
unknown.
2)Potential ongoing revenue from the federal government in an
amount equal to the revenue lost to the discount provided
pursuant to this bill. (MVA).
3)Dedication of revenue received from the federal government,
potentially in the millions of dollars annually, to the
discount described in this bill. The amount of revenue
dedicated to the discount will be to the detriment of other
programs to which these federal funds might have been applied,
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absent this bill.
4)One-time costs to DMV of an unknown but potentially
significant amount, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,
to program the application and renewal system so that the
amount of the discount offered can vary, depending upon the
amount of federal funding received.
5)Minor cost to DMV to petition the federal government for
funding to pay for the discount required by this bill.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. The author describes the collaboration between DMV
and Donate Life California as providing a convenient way for
Californians to enroll as organ and tissue donors. The author
notes, however, that California lags other states in its
enrollment of organ and tissue donors. The author describes
this bill as a way to increase enrollment of organ and tissue
donors without adding cost to state government.
1)Background. Current law requires an application for an
original or renewal driver's license or ID card to contain a
space for the applicant to enroll in the Donate Life
California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. DMV designates
the driver's license or identification card of an enrollee
with the word "DONOR" on the license or card. DMV is required
to transmit weekly information on enrollees to Donate Life
California.
Current law permits a person who applies for an original or
renewal driver's license or ID card to designate a voluntary
contribution of $2 for the purpose of promoting and supporting
organ and tissue donation. DMV uses a portion of such
donations to cover its administrative costs to register
enrollees and provides the remainder to Donate Life
California.
1)Resources Are Limited, But Bill's Dedication of Federal Funds
Is Absolute. This bill requires DMV to dedicate resources to
seek federal funds to pay for the discount described by this
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bill. DMV's resources are limited. So is the amount of
federal funds the state can secure for any purpose. While
many may support the goal of this bill-increasing enrollment
of potential organ and tissue donors-it is questionable policy
to predetermine that increasing organ and tissue donor
enrollment is the best use of federal funds that may be
received by DMV.
2)Donor Discount, Yes; Organ and Tissue Donor, No. This bill
direct DMV to provide a discount to those who enroll with
Donate Life California. However, there is no way to ensure
that a person who enrolls with Donate Life California and
receives the discount will remain registered with Donate Life
California. Therefore, this bill creates the incentive for
those with no intention of making their organs or tissue
available for donation to enrolling with Donate Life at the
time of their DMV transaction and then contacting Donate Life
to disenroll from the registry.
3)There is no support or opposition registered to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081