BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 468
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 2, 2001

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

                     AB 468 (Cohn) - As Amended:  April 16, 2001 

          Policy Committee:                               
          TransportationVote:18-0 (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill codifies safeguards currently practiced at the DMV  
          against identity theft in the process of obtaining duplicate  
          driver's licenses and identification cards.  Specifically, this  
          bill: 

          1)Requires the DMV to be furnished with satisfactory proof of  
            the identity of the person requesting the duplicate license or  
            ID card, including a document containing a photograph of the  
            person.

          2)Allows the DMV to verify the person's identity by inspecting  
            its own photographic files from the person's prior license or  
            ID card if the person is unable to provide the above proof of  
            identity.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable costs to the DMV to inspect its photographic  
          files for a larger number of transactions.  (State Highway  
          Account.)

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .   The author argues that the procedure by which a  
            duplicate driver's license or ID card can be issued by the DMV  
            to persons who have purportedly lost, destroyed or mutilated  
            their license or card has become one of the primary means by  
            which identity theft occurs in California.  The identity thief  
            applies for a duplicate license or card in the name of the  
            unsuspecting holder of the license or card.  If granted, the  








                                                                  AB 468
                                                                  Page  2

            thief can then establish credit, write checks, apply for jobs,  
            or partake in any number of activities in the name of the  
            victim.  While the DMV has recently responded by tightening up  
            proof of identity requirements, this bill codifies those  
            improvements.
           
          2)Prior Legislation  .  AB 2382 (Leach) of 2000 would have  
            required the DMV to check its photographic files for every  
            request for a duplicate license or ID card.  AB 2382 was held  
            on this committee's Suspense file.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081