BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1578
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 26, 2002
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Darrell Steinberg, Chair
SB 1578 (Johannessen) - As Amended: June 18, 2002
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:15-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill expands the DMV's current program for providing
separate registration for specially constructed vehicles (SCVs),
as follows:
1)Allows, up to an annual maximum of 500 registrations, a
specially constructed vehicle (SCV) that is currently
registered as a motor vehicle with the DMV to instead be
registered under the special program for SCVs which, among
other things, allows the owner more discretion in identifying
his or her SCV's model year for purposes of determining
whether or not the vehicle is subject to Smog Check testing
requirements.
2)Requires the DMV, for applications it receives after the 500
registration annual maximum is met, to assign the same model
year as the calendar year in which the application is
submitted for purposes of determining Smog Check requirements
for the SCV.
FISCAL EFFECT
Nominal costs to the DMV to expand its current SCV program to
accommodate a larger number of SCVs seeking special registration
and to process applications in excess of the 500 SCV annual
limit. (Motor Vehicle Account.)
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author believes the SCV program should be
expanded. The current DMV program is limited to an annual 500
SB 1578
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SCVs seeking an initial registration. This bill, by deleting
the term "initial", allows the SCVs already registered under
the DMV's standard motor vehicle registration process to be
registered under the SCV registration program.
2)Background . SB 100 (Johannessen) - Chapter 871, Statutes of
2001 created the SCV program at the DMV. Under this program,
which went into effect this year, the owner of an SCV that has
yet to be registered has the vehicle inspected by smog
inspection station referees to identify a model year in order
to determine whether or not the SCV is subject to the state's
Smog Check program. The owner can choose whether the
inspection is based on the engine model year or the "body
style" model year. If the referee cannot determine a model
year based on the engine or the body style, the default model
year is 1960. Since motor vehicles that are 30 years of age
or older are not subject to Smog Check requirements, most SCVs
registered under this special program are likely to be exempt
from Smog Check.
3)Current Status . The DMV indicates that the SCV program has
provided original registrations to only 111 vehicles. By
allowing vehicles currently registered under the standard
registration policy to be re-registered as SCVs, this bill is
likely to substantially increase demand for SCV registration.
To the extent these vehicles would no longer to subject to the
state's Smog Check program, expanding the SCV program could
have a negative impact on the state's ability to achieve air
quality goals and to meet federal air quality requirements.
Analysis Prepared by : Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)
319-2081