Vehicles: enhanced driver's license.

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon proper application, to issue driver's licenses and identification cards. The federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative facilitates travel within the western hemisphere by authorizing the use of enhanced driver's licenses and identification cards meeting specified requirements as travel documents. This bill would authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a federal agency for the purpose of facilitating travels within the western hemisphere pursuant to the federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative through the issuance of an enhanced driver's license, instruction permit, provisional license, or identification card. The bill would authorize the department to issue or renew, upon request, an enhanced driver's license, instruction permit, provisional license, or identification card for specified persons. The bill would require a person applying for the initial issuance or renewal of an enhanced driver's license, instruction permit, provisional license, or identification card to submit, under the penalty of perjury, additional proof of identity, residency, and citizenship that satisfies the requirements of the federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Because the knowledge of the submission of fraudulent information is a crime, the bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would, except as specified, prohibit the disclosure of information submitted to the department. Because a violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would prohibit an employer from requiring an employee to apply for, or use, an enhanced driver's license or identification card as a condition of employment or to discriminate or otherwise retaliate against an employee who refuses to apply for, or use, an enhanced driver's license or identification card. Because a violation of this provision would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require the department to submit an annual report to specified committees of the Legislature on the implementation of the enhanced driver's license and identification card. The bill would require a person applying for an enhanced driver's license, instruction permit, provisional license, or identification card to submit an additional application fee. The bill would require the department to set, by regulation, the application fee in an amount not to exceed the reasonable regulatory cost of issuing or renewing the license, permit, or identification card, or $55, whichever is less, and to provide specified information to the applicant. The bill would establish the Enhanced Driver's License and Identification Card Subaccount in the Motor Vehicle Account and would require the additional fee to be deposited into the subaccount. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the moneys in the subaccount to be expended by the department in implementing the above provisions. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.