(a) In order to continue improving the quality of products and services to its customers in the registration and titling of personal property within its authority, the department, pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code, may establish electronic programs to facilitate improved business practices between the department and qualified private industry partners. The programs may include, but are not limited to, programs for the electronic processing of ownership and title documents for manufactured homes, mobilehomes, commercial coaches, truck campers, and floating homes, and the payment of related fees.
(b) The director may establish, by regulation, the maximum amount of a fee that a qualified private industry partner may charge its customers to provide the services authorized under subdivision (a).
(c) The department may establish, by regulation, a transaction fee that it may charge a qualified private industry partner to pay the costs for the information and services that the department provides to the partner in support of the processing and payment programs authorized under subdivision (a). The transaction fee may not exceed the amount necessary to cover the costs incurred by the department in carrying out this section and Section 18090.6. The transaction fee may be passed to the customer by the private industry partner, but in no event shall the total charge to a customer exceed the amount established by the director under subdivision (b).
(d) As used in this section, “qualified private industry partner” includes the following entities engaged in the business, or an associated business, of the purchase, sale, or transfer of manufactured homes, mobilehomes, commercial coaches, truck campers, or floating homes: financial institutions, electronic data processing vendors, information technology contractors, and escrow and title companies.
(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 213, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)