Vehicle license fees.

The Vehicle License Fee Law, in lieu of any ad valorem property tax upon vehicles, imposes an annual license fee on any vehicle subject to registration in this state in the amount, on and after July 1, 2011, of 0.65% of the market value of that vehicle, as provided. For all initial and renewal registrations due on and after May 1, 2009, but before July 1, 2011, existing law also imposes an additional fee equal to 0.15% of the market value of specified vehicles, as determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles, to be deposited in the General Fund and transferred to the Local Safety and Protection Account. Existing law continuously appropriates all moneys in the Local Safety and Protection Account without regard to fiscal year, to the Controller for allocation, as provided. This bill would, for all initial and renewal registrations due on and after January 1, 2012, impose an additional vehicle license fee equal to 0.15% of the market value of the above-described vehicles, as specified. It would also require all revenues from the additional license fee to be deposited in the General Fund. During the 2011–12 fiscal year, the bill would transfer an amount to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, a continuously appropriated fund, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties, as specified. The bill would require a transfer of revenues, during the 2012-13 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter to be allocated according the following order: first to be transferred to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, as specified; and second, a total of $35,000,000 to be transferred to the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Fund, which the bill would create as a continuously appropriated fund. Funds not transferred would continue to be General Fund moneys. By depositing moneys into a continuously appropriated fund and by establishing a new, continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires that a specified portion of the motor vehicle license fee revenues deposited to the credit of the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund be allocated or transferred by the Controller with those revenues being allocated on or after July 1, 2004, but before July 1, 2011, first to the County of Orange and next to each city and county meeting specified criteria; and those revenues being allocated on or after July 1, 2011, to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties. This bill would instead limit that allocation for the 2011–12 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter to $300,000,000 in monthly installments. The bill would then allocate the moneys to the County of Orange, and to other cities and counties meeting specified criteria in the order specified prior to July 1, 2011, as provided. By authorizing revenues deposited in the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to be used for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. Governor Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 6, 2010. Governor Brown issued a proclamation on January 20, 2011, declaring and reaffirming that a fiscal emergency exists and stating that his proclamation supersedes the earlier proclamation for purposes of that constitutional provision. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared and reaffirmed by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 20, 2011, pursuant to the California Constitution. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.