(a) (1) A service authority established under Section 22710 may impose a service fee of one dollar ($1) on all vehicles, except vehicles described in subdivision (a) of Section 5014.1, registered to an owner with an address in the county that established the service authority. The fee shall be paid to the department at the time of registration, or renewal of registration, or when renewal becomes delinquent, except on vehicles that are expressly exempted under this code from the payment of registration fees.
(2) In addition to the one-dollar ($1) service fee, and upon the implementation of the permanent trailer identification plate program, and as part of the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act of 2001, all commercial motor vehicles subject to Section 9400.1 registered to an owner with an address in the county that established a service authority under this section shall pay an additional service fee of two dollars ($2).
(b) The department, after deducting its administrative costs, shall transmit, at least quarterly, the net amount collected pursuant to subdivision (a) to the Treasurer for deposit in the Abandoned Vehicle Trust Fund, which is hereby created. All money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the Controller for allocation to a service authority that has an approved abandoned vehicle abatement program pursuant to Section 22710, and for payment of the administrative costs of the Controller. After deduction of its administrative costs, the Controller shall allocate the money in the Abandoned Vehicle Trust Fund to each service authority in proportion to the revenues received from the fee imposed by that authority pursuant to subdivision (a). If any funds received by a service authority pursuant to this section are not expended to abate abandoned vehicles pursuant to an approved abandoned vehicle abatement program that has been in existence for at least two full fiscal years within 90 days of the close of the fiscal year in which the funds were received and the amount of those funds exceeds the amount expended by the service authority for the abatement of abandoned vehicles in the previous fiscal year, the fee imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be suspended for one year, commencing on July 1 following the Controller’s determination pursuant to subdivision (e).
(c) Every service authority that imposes a fee authorized by subdivision (a) shall issue a fiscal yearend report to the Controller on or before October 31 of each year summarizing all of the following:
(1) The total revenues received by the service authority during the previous fiscal year.
(2) The total expenditures by the service authority during the previous fiscal year.
(3) The total number of vehicles abated during the previous fiscal year.
(4) The average cost per abatement during the previous fiscal year.
(5) Any additional, unexpended fee revenues for the service authority during the previous fiscal year.
(6) The number of notices to abate issued to vehicles during the previous fiscal year.
(7) The number of vehicles disposed of pursuant to an ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 22710 during the previous fiscal year.
(8) The total expenditures by the service authority for towing and storage of abandoned vehicles during the previous fiscal year.
(d) Each service authority that fails to submit the report required pursuant to subdivision (c) by October 31 of each year shall have its fee pursuant to subdivision (a) suspended for one year commencing on July 1 following the Controller’s determination pursuant to subdivision (e).
(e) On or before January 1 annually, the Controller shall review the fiscal yearend reports, submitted by each service authority pursuant to subdivision (c) and due no later than October 31, to determine if fee revenues are being utilized in a manner consistent with the service authority’s approved program. If the Controller determines that the use of the fee revenues is not consistent with the service authority’s program as approved by the Department of the California Highway Patrol, or that an excess of fee revenues exists, as specified in subdivision (b), the authority to collect the fee shall be suspended for one year pursuant to subdivision (b). If the Controller determines that a service authority has not submitted a fiscal yearend report as required in subdivision (c), the authorization to collect the service fee shall be suspended for one year pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (d). The Controller shall inform the Department of Motor Vehicles on or before January 1 annually, that the authority to collect the fee is suspended. A suspension shall only occur if the service authority has been in existence for at least two full fiscal years and the revenue fee surpluses are in excess of those allowed under this section, the use of the fee revenue is not consistent with the service authority’s approved program, or the required fiscal yearend report has not been submitted by October 31.
(f) On or before January 1, 2010, and biennially thereafter, the service authority shall have a financial audit of the service authority conducted by a qualified independent third party.
(g) The fee imposed by a service authority shall remain in effect only for a period of 10 years from the date that the actual collection of the fee commenced unless the fee is extended pursuant to this subdivision. The fee may be extended in increments of up to 10 years each if the board of supervisors of the county, by a two-thirds vote, and a majority of the cities having a majority of the incorporated population within the county adopt resolutions providing for the extension of the fee.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 728, Sec. 176. (SB 71) Effective January 1, 2013.)