Aircraft registration.

Existing law prohibits a person from driving, moving, or leaving standing upon a highway any motor vehicle, as defined, unless it has been registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Existing law generally requires specified information to be submitted to the department and specified vehicle registration fees to be paid to the department at the time of a vehicle's registration or a renewal of a vehicle's registration. Under existing law, it is an infraction for a person to violate, or fail to comply with, a provision of the Vehicle Code, unless otherwise specified. This bill would require the owner of an aircraft based in this state to register the aircraft with the department, as specified. The bill would require the original or renewal registration of an aircraft to include specified information. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to determine the aircraft registration fee, but would require the fee to cover the costs incurred in connection with the administration of this program and to include an amount to be used to combat the detrimental environmental impacts of aircraft emissions, thereby imposing a tax. The bill would create the Aircraft Registration Account in the State Transportation Fund, and would require the fee revenues to be deposited in that account. The bill would continuously appropriate moneys in that account without regard to fiscal years, thus making an appropriation. 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. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.