California Senate Bill SB1453 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1453AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 24, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Senator Price FEBRUARY 19, 2010  An act to relating to public social services.   An act to add Section 1656.6 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1453, as amended, Price.  CalWORKs and food stamps.   Vehicles: digital electronic license plates.   Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon the registration of a vehicle, to issue to the owner of the vehicle, license plates meeting specified requirements for the vehicle.   This bill would authorize the department to take specified actions for the purposes of developing and evaluating the use of digital electronic license plates, as defined. The bill would authorize the department to contract with a private vendor for the purposes of researching, developing, acquiring, and utilizing the digital electronic license plates. If the department implements a multiyear pilot program, the bill would require the department to submit to the Legislature an interim report on the progress of the pilot program one year after the implementation of the pilot program and a final report one year prior to the termination of the pilot program.   Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, state, and county funds. Under existing law, the county is required to annually redetermine eligibility for CalWORKs benefits.   Existing law additionally requires the county to redetermine recipient eligibility and grant amounts on a quarterly basis, using prospective budgeting, and to prospectively determine the grant amount that a recipient is entitled to receive for each month of the quarterly reporting period. Existing law requires a CalWORKs recipient to report to the county, orally or in writing, specified changes that could affect the amount of aid to which the recipient is entitled. Under existing law, the CalWORKs quarterly reporting system is also implemented by the State Department of Social Services in administering the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is administered in California as the Food Stamp program. Under the Food Stamp program, each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits to eligible households.   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact Legislation that would reform fingerprinting, asset limitation, and reporting requirements under the CalWORKs program and the Food Stamp program.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:   (a) The Department of Motor Vehicles, by virtue of its interaction with millions of California drivers and vehicle owners each year, represents a valuable resource to the state and an important public safety advocate and partner.   (b) The department, like all state agencies and departments, will experience budget reductions, furloughs, and other cost-saving measures aimed at alleviating the current and expected budget financial crisis of the state.   SEC. 2.   Section 1656.6 is added to the   Vehicle Code   , to read:   1656.6. (a) The department may consider the use and development of existing or emerging technologies for the creation of a digital electronic license plate for the purpose of generating revenue for the department and state. (b) For the purposes of developing and evaluating the use of a digital electronic license plate, the department may enter into any of the following: (1) A request for proposals. (2) A memorandum of understanding. (3) A pilot program. (4) A letter of intent. (5) Other instruments deemed appropriate by the department. (c) (1) The development of a digital electronic license plate shall be done at little or no cost to the department. (2) The department may enter into a contract with a private vendor for the purposes of researching, developing, acquiring, and utilizing a digital electronic license plate. (d) If the department implements a multiyear pilot program, the department shall do both of the following: (1) One year after the implementation of the pilot program, submit to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code an interim report on the progress of the pilot program. (2) One year prior to the end of the pilot program, submit to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code a final report on the pilot program containing all of the following information: (A) The number of digital electronic license plates issued. (B) The effects of the use of the digital electronic license plates on traffic safety. (C) The revenues to the state generated by the use of the digital electronic license plates, if any. (D) Cost savings realized by the department through improved efficiency in the registration of vehicles, if any. (E) Recommendations on the future use of digital electronic license plates. (e) For purposes of this section, "digital electronic license plate" is a license plate that may be used secondarily as a mobile message display unit and that complies with the applicable section of the Vehicle Code while in vehicle identification mode.   SECTION 1.   It is the intent of the Legislature to enact Legislation that would reform fingerprinting, asset limitation, and reporting requirements under the CalWORKs program and the Food Stamp program.