Vehicles: electronic verification of financial responsibility and insurance.

(1) Existing law requires every driver and every owner of a motor vehicle to be able to establish financial responsibility, and, at all times, carry in the vehicle evidence of a form of financial responsibility, which may be obtained by a law enforcement officer from the electronic reporting system established by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Existing law requires, upon the demand of a peace officer, that evidence of registration and proof of financial responsibility be provided by a person driving a motor vehicle. Existing law requires a driver who is issued a notice to appear for any alleged violation of the Vehicle Code or the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident to furnish written evidence of financial responsibility. Existing law requires an insurer issuing policies of automobile liability insurance or motor vehicle liability insurance, upon the request of its insured or the Department of Motor Vehicles, to promptly issue written verification as to the existence of that coverage. This bill would authorize an insurer issuing policies of automobile liability insurance or motor vehicle insurance to issue, upon the request of the insured and to the extent available, electronic verification as to the existence of the coverage to a mobile electronic device, as defined, and would allow a person to provide evidence of financial responsibility, under the circumstances described above, through the use of a mobile electronic device. The bill would require, when a person provides evidence of financial responsibility, using a mobile electronic device, to a peace officer, the peace officer to only view the evidence of financial responsibility and would prohibit him or her from viewing any other content on the mobile electronic device. The bill would also require, whenever a person presents a mobile electronic device pursuant to the above-described provisions, the person to assume all liability for any damage to the mobile electronic device. By expanding the duties of local public officials and expanding the scope of existing crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.