BILL NUMBER: AB 2489INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hall FEBRUARY 24, 2012 An act to amend Section 4464 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2489, as introduced, Hall. Vehicles: license plates: alteration. (1) Existing law prohibits a person from displaying upon a vehicle a license plate altered from its original markings. A violation of this provision is an infraction. This bill would define "altered" to mean defacing the license plate in any manner designed to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters and would provide that "defacing" includes painting over or erasing the reflective coating of a license plate. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also increase the penalty to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4464 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 4464.No(a) A person shall not display upon a vehicle a license plate that is altered from its original markings. (b) As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (1) "Altered" means defacing the license plate in any manner designed to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters. (2) "Defacing" includes, but is not limited to, painting over or erasing the reflective coating of a license plate. (c) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500). SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.