California Assembly Bill AB529 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 529INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer FEBRUARY 23, 2015 An act to amend Section 30000 of the Penal Code, and to amend Sections 4750 and 12805 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 529, as introduced, Jones-Sawyer. Armed prohibited persons: vehicle registration and driver's license prohibitions. Existing law requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain an online database, the Prohibited Armed Persons File, to cross-reference persons who have ownership or possession of a firearm on or after January 1, 1996, and who, subsequent to the date of that ownership or possession, fall within a class of persons who are prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. Existing law restricts the access of that database to specified entities, including, among others, the courts, and specified law enforcement and prosecutorial entities. This bill would require the Department of Justice to allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to access the database in connection with the registration of vehicles and the issuance and renewal of driver's licenses. Existing law prescribes certain instances when the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to refuse registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, of a vehicle, including, among others, when the application contains a false or fraudulent statement, or the required fee has not been paid. This bill would additionally require the department to refuse registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, of a vehicle, when the department determines that the person to whom the vehicle is, or will be, registered is listed as a prohibited person in the Prohibited Armed Persons File. The bill would require the department, before registering a vehicle, or renewing or transferring the registration of a vehicle, to access the Prohibited Armed Persons File to determine if the person to whom the vehicle is, or will be, registered is listed as a prohibited person. Existing law prescribes certain instances when the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to refuse to issue or renew a driver's license, including, among others, when the person seeking the license is not of legal age to receive a driver's license. This bill would additionally require the department to refuse to issue or renew the driver's license of a person who the department determines is listed as a prohibited person in the Prohibited Armed Persons File. The bill would require the department, before issuing or renewing a driver's license, to access the Prohibited Armed Persons File to determine if the person applying for, or renewing, the driver's license is listed as a prohibited person. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 30000 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 30000. (a) The Attorney General shall establish and maintain an online database to be known as the Prohibited Armed Persons File. The purpose of the file is to  cross-reference   identify  persons who have ownership or possession of a firearm on or after January 1, 1996, as indicated by a record in the Consolidated Firearms Information System, and who, subsequent to the date of that ownership or possession of a firearm, fall within a class of persons who are prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. (b)  The   Except   as provided in subdivision (c), the  information contained in the Prohibited Armed Persons File shall  only  be available  only  to those entities specified in, and pursuant to, subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11105, through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, for the purpose of determining if persons are armed and prohibited from possessing firearms.  (c) The Department of Justice shall provide access to the Prohibited Armed Persons File to the Department of Motor Vehicles for purposes of complying with Sections 4750 and 12805 of the Vehicle Code.  SEC. 2. Section 4750 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 4750. The department shall refuse registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, upon any of the following grounds: (a) The application contains any false or fraudulent statement. (b) The required fee has not been paid. (c) The registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, is prohibited by the requirements of Part 5 (commencing with Section 43000) of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code. (d) The owner of a heavy vehicle, which is subject to the heavy vehicle use tax imposed pursuant to Section 4481 of Title 26 of the United States Code, has not presented sufficient evidence, as determined by the department, that the tax for the vehicle has been paid pursuant to that section. (e) Evidence of financial responsibility,  that   which  is required for a vehicle registration renewal  where   when  there is no change in registered owner, has not been provided to the department pursuant to Section 4000.37 or electronically. This subdivision does not apply to any of the following: (1) A vehicle for which a certification has been filed pursuant to Section 4604, until the vehicle is registered for operation upon the highway. (2) A vehicle owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States or any public entity that is included in Section 811.2 of the Government Code. (3) A vehicle registration renewal application  where   when  there is a change of registered owner.  (f) (1) The department determines that the person to whom the vehicle is, or will be, registered is listed as a prohibited person in the Prohibited Armed Persons File, pursuant to Section 30000 of the Penal Code.   (2) The department shall, before registering a vehicle, or renewing or transferring the registration of a vehicle, access the Prohibited Armed Persons File to determine if the person to whom the vehicle is, or will be, registered is listed as a prohibited person.  SEC. 3. Section 12805 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 12805. The department shall not issue a driver's license to, or renew  a   the  driver's license of, any person: (a) Who is not of legal age to receive a driver's license. (b) Whose best corrected visual acuity is 20/200 or worse in that person's better eye, as verified by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. No person may use a bioptic telescopic or similar lens to meet the 20/200 visual acuity standards. (c) Who is unable, as shown by examination, to understand traffic signs or signals or who does not have a reasonable knowledge of the provisions of this code governing the operations of vehicles upon the highways. (d) When it is determined, by examination or other evidence, that the person is unable to safely operate a motor vehicle upon a highway. (e) Who is unable to read and understand simple English used in highway traffic and directional signs. This subdivision does not apply to any person holding an operator's or chauffeur's license issued by this state and valid on September 11, 1957. (f) Who holds a valid driver's license issued by a foreign jurisdiction unless the license has been surrendered to the department, or is lost or destroyed. (g) Who has ever held, or is the holder of, a license to drive issued by another state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and that license has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a conviction of a traffic violation until the suspension period has  terminated, except that the   terminated. The  department may issue a license to the applicant if, in the opinion of the department, it will be safe to issue a license to a person whose license to drive was suspended by a state that is not a party to the Driver License Compact provided for in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 15000) of Division 6. (h) Who has ever held, or is the holder of, a license to drive issued by another state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and that license has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a conviction of a traffic violation, until the revocation has been terminated or after the expiration of one year from the date the license was revoked, whichever occurs  first, except that the   first. The  department may issue a license to the applicant if, in the opinion of the department, it will be safe to issue a license to a person whose license to drive was revoked by a state that is not a party to the Driver License Compact provided for in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 15000) of Division 6.  (i) (1) Who the department determines is listed as a prohibited person in the Prohibited Armed Persons File, pursuant to Section 30000 of the Penal Code.   (2) The department shall, before issuing or renewing a driver's license, access the Prohibited Armed Persons File to determine if the person applying for, or renewing, the driver's license is listed as a prohibited person.