California Assembly Bill AB647 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 647AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Yamada FEBRUARY 25, 2009 An act to amend Section 4465 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 647, as amended, Yamada. Vehicles: registration and title information. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to furnish the legal owner of record of a vehicle, upon his or her request, information regarding the current registration status of the vehicle, including the license plate number and address of the registered owner of the vehicle. Existing law also authorizes the department to charge a fee to pay  for  the cost of furnishing this information. Existing federal law establishes the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System  (NMVTIS)  program in the United States Department of Justice to provide an electronic means to verify and exchange titling, brand, and theft data among motor vehicle administrators, law enforcement officials, prospective purchasers, and insurance carriers in participating states. This bill would  require the Director of Motor Vehicles to make the federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System available to a prospective purchaser of a vehicle for the sole purpose of obtaining titling, brand, and theft data, if any, of that vehicle. The bill would require the department to adopt rules and regulations consistent with the requirements for making records available to the public and would authorize the department to charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this information   state the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Motor Vehicles fully comply with the federal Anti Car Theft Act of 1992. The bill would state the further intent of the Legislature that on and after May 10, 2010, a contract entered into by the   department to provide information from the NMVTIS would include consumer access in full compliance with the act  . Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  yes   no  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4465 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 4465. (a) A legal owner of record of a vehicle may request, and the department shall furnish, information regarding the current registration status of the vehicle, including the license plate number and address of the registered owner of the vehicle. The department may charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this information.  (b) The director shall make the federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) available to a prospective purchaser of a vehicle for the sole purpose of obtaining titling, brand, and theft data, if any, of that vehicle. The department shall adopt rules and regulations consistent with Section 1808 and may charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this information.   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department fully comply with the federal Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-519). It is the further intent of the Legislature that on and after May 10, 2010, a contract entered into by the department to provide information from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System would include consumer access in full compliance with the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-519).