BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2201
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2201 (Chávez)
As Amended April 29, 2014
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 9-3 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Linder, Achadjian, Daly, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, |
| |Gatto, Logue, Nazarian, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Patterson, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Quirk-Silva, Waldron | |Gomez, Holden, Jones, |
| | | |Linder, Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Lowenthal, Ammiano, Bonta | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires a person who is required to register with the
federal Selective Service System (SSS) to automatically consent
to SSS registration when applying for an original or a renewal
driver's license. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding
registration with the SSS.
2)Requires a person who is required to register with the SSS to
automatically consent to SSS registration when submitting an
application for an original or a renewal driver's license.
3)Specifies that submission of an application for an original or
a renewal driver's license by an eligible SSS applicant
establishes a conclusive presumption that the person has
either:
a) Registered with the SSS; or,
b) Authorized the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to
forward to the SSS the necessary information in order to
process SSS registration.
4)Requires DMV to include on the driver's license application a
notice indicating the applicant's consent to register with the
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SSS.
5)Delays implementation of the bill until January 1, 2016.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, one-time costs to DMV of around $200,000 to revise
forms and for programming, and ongoing costs of around $50,000
to include an insert in the renewal notice, as applicable,
notifying the applicant of the automatic registration
requirement and alternative service information.
Assembly Appropriations Committee has received notice from the
SSS Director agreeing to provide reimbursement to DMV of
$150,000 to $350,000 toward the cost of implementing this bill.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "California men are being
disqualified for financial aid and school grants because they
are unaware they have to register for the Selective Service. At
a time when tuition is on the rise and student indebtedness is
becoming a real problem, we must give them the tools they need
to afford college and be successful."
SSS is an independent federal agency whose mission is to
register men for a possible military draft. This, in turn,
enables the nation to expand the military forces rapidly and
efficiently during a period of warfare or other national
emergency. Failure to register is a felony violation, and
violators are subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and/or up to
five years of imprisonment. In addition, violators lose
eligibility for federal benefits, including student loans and
grants, employment opportunities with federal agencies and in
cases where an eligible male is an immigrant, eligibility for
citizenship.
Under an existing agreement, DMV provides the SSS with certain
personal information, including the name, address, birthdate,
and driver's license number of men 17 to 25 years of age who
apply for an original driver's license or identification card.
DMV currently provides this information to SSS four times a
year. Submittal of this information is not considered
compliance with the registration requirement of the Military
Selective Service Act; rather, SSS matches this information with
its registry and notifies any person that has not registered
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with SSS. If enacted, this bill will require DMV to carry out a
federal requirement currently assigned to SSS.
Writing in support of this bill, both the American GI Forum of
California and United Mexican-American Veterans Association
write that registration with the SSS "is a pathway to
citizenship for immigrants and a doorway to educational, career,
and community success for Chicanos and Latinos in California."
In opposition to this bill, the Committee Opposed to Militarism
and the Draft (COMD) writes that the bill "is asking DMV to
perform, and pay for a function that is completely unrelated to
its purpose." COMD further writes "the federal government
itself does not employ such a system to automatically register
people with SSS. For example, when men apply for federal
college financial aid, they must opt-in to be registered with
the SSS."
Previous legislation: SB 251 (Correa) of 2011, would have
deemed a person is consenting to registration with the SSS when
he applies for an original or renewal driver's license issued by
DMV. That bill was held on the suspense file in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0003806