BILL NUMBER: AB 1539	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hayashi

                        JANUARY 24, 2012

   An act to add Section 5157.5 to the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1539, as introduced, Hayashi. Vehicles: specialized license
plates: antibullying license plate program.
    Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue
specialized license plates in accordance with requirements that
include, among other things, a distinct license plate design or
message that publicizes or promotes the official policy, mission, or
work of a state agency and that additional fees charged be used, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for programs that further that
agency's policy, mission, or work.
   This bill would require the department, in consultation with the
State Department of Education, to design and make available for
issuance specialized license plates that contain a message that
promotes the policy of the state that prohibits discrimination,
harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived
characteristics and disability, gender, nationality, race or
ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person
or group with one or more of these actual or perceived
characteristics. The bill would require that the specialized license
plate be known as the "Antibullying License Plate Program."
   The bill would create the Antibullying Program Account in the
Specialized License Plate Fund and moneys in the account would be
available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the program.
The bill would require the State Department of Education to transfer
sufficient monies to the Department of Motor Vehicles to initiate the
program.
   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.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The bullying of young people who are members of the lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has increased in our
schools over the years.
   (b) The 2009 National School Climate Survey found that 8 in 10
LGBT students had been verbally harassed at school, and 4 in 10 had
been physically harassed. The survey of 7,000 LGBT middle and high
school students also found that one in five had been the victim of a
physical assault at school.
  SEC. 2.  Section 5157.5 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
   5157.5.  (a) Notwithstanding Section 5156, the department, in
consultation with the State Department of Education, shall design and
make available for issuance pursuant to this article specialized
license plates that contain a message that promotes the policy of the
state that prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and
bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics and disability,
gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual
orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more
of these actual or perceived characteristics. The specialized license
plate shall be known as the "Antibullying License Plate Program."
The design of the license plates shall be subject to Sections 5154
and 5155. Any person described in Section 5101, upon payment of the
additional fees set forth in subdivision (b), may apply for and be
issued a set of specialized license plates. The plates may be issued
in a combination of numbers or letters, or both, requested by the
owner or lessee of the vehicle.
   (b) In addition to the regular fees for an original registration
or renewal of registration, the following additional fees shall be
paid for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the specialized
license plates authorized pursuant to this section:
   (1) For the original issuance of the plates, fifty dollars ($50).
   (2) For a renewal of registration with the plates, forty dollars
($40).
   (3) For transfer of the plates to another vehicle, fifteen dollars
($15).
   (4) For each substitute replacement plate, thirty-five dollars
($35).
   (5) For the conversion of an existing specialized license plate to
the specialized license plate authorized pursuant to this section,
sixty-five dollars ($65).
   (c) (1) The State Department of Education Shall transfer
sufficient monies to the Department of Motor Vehicles to initiate the
Antibullying License Plate Program. After deducting its
administrative costs under this section, the department shall deposit
the additional revenue derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer,
and substitution of the specialized license plates into the
Antibullying Program Account, which is hereby created in the
Specialized License Plate Fund.
   (2) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the money in the
account shall be allocated by the Controller to the State Department
of Education for expenditure in support of state or local
antibullying programs administered by the State Department of
Education or through grants to local school districts.
   (d) The State Department of Education shall report to the
Legislature on or before June 30 of each year on its use and
expenditure of the money in the Antibullying Program Account,
beginning one year after the initial issuance of the specialized
license plates authorized by this section.