MINUTES OF THE
SENATE Committee on Transportation
Seventy-First Session
March 8, 2001
The Senate Committee on Transportationwas called to order by Chairman William R. O'Donnell, at 2:12 p.m., on Thursday, March 8, 2001, in Room 2149 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster. All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman
Senator Mark Amodei, Vice Chairman
Senator Lawrence E. Jacobsen
Senator Maurice Washington
Senator Raymond C. Shaffer
Senator Terry Care
Senator Maggie Carlton
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst
Alice Nevin, Committee Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT:
Karen E. Daly, Driver Programs Manager, Management Services and Programs Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
Jim Parsons, Administrator, Management Services and Programs Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
Charles Powell, Trooper, Nevada Highway Patrol Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
Peter D. Krueger, Lobbyist, Nevada Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association
Chairman O’Donnell:
We have two bills which need subcommittees. I appoint myself, Senator Jacobsen and Senator Carlton to work on Senate Bill (S.B.) 102 and Senate Bill (S.B.) 118.
SENATE BILL 102: Limits amount short-term lessor of motor vehicles may charge lessee for waiver of damages and optional insurance. (BDR 43‑741)
SENATE BILL 118: Revises certain provisions governing fees charged by short-term lessors of passenger cars. (BDR 43-708)
Chairman O’Donnell:
I will open the hearing on S.B. 260.
SENATE BILL 260: Revises provisions governing design of drivers’ licenses and identification cards. (BDR 43-1170)
Karen E. Daly, Driver Programs Manager, Management Services and Programs Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety:
I am the Project Manager for the Digitized Drivers’ License Program. I would like to present my written remarks for the record (Exhibit C).
You are asking for a change in the law to allow taking a full-face photograph of an individual who is under 21 years of age and allow a border to be thinner on one side and wider on the top in order to delineate whether you are 21 years or older. Also, the epileptic and diabetic licenses will have a colored frame with the straight frontal picture of an individual. Why is this necessary?
Ms. Daly:
Because, as it stands today, if we were to use these colors (tangerine and almond are the current backdrop colors) for the backdrop of the epileptic and diabetic licenses, those photographs would not show up very well in our database. Therefore, the purpose of this database would not be valid. As far as under-21 licenses, we want them to be on a vertical license. Through language changes we are asking to have a front-view picture, not a profile-view picture, so if we decide to use face-finding software within this database, it would work.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Why do we need face-finding software?
Ms. Daly:
If someone comes in with your name, once this is issued, and we already have your photo on file, we can pick out specific points using face-finding software. Then we can identify if it is really you.
Senator Carlton:
Do these amendments apply to identification (ID) cards also?
Ms. Daly:
Yes, they do.
Senator Carlton:
How much does it cost to make an ID card?
Ms. Daly:
I believe it would be the same price as a current driver’s license which is $1.20. I have brought some samples today (Exhibit D).
Chairman O’Donnell:
You are changing the under-21 driver’s license to a vertical license and it says under 21.
Senator Jacobsen:
Are the benefits mostly for law enforcement? Who will benefit from it?
Ms. Daly:
Retail industry, law enforcement and anyone who deals with drivers’ licenses.
Senator Jacobsen:
Does it give the officer a quicker chance of recognition if you have a disability? What is the reason for the changes?
Ms. Daly:
With the borders on the license, yes, it would be apparent to law enforcement. They will be educated for that.
Senator Jacobsen:
It opens the door for more conversation and maybe that is beneficial but I am wondering whether the person with the disability is more subject to something more. This morning in Senate finance we were reviewing the Nevada Supreme Court, just looking at the statistics; the highest rate of violations was traffic accidents, with court cases. It seemed to be almost 75 percent in those areas. Maybe there is a reason to make identification more positive.
Jim Parsons, Administrator, Management Services and Programs Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety:
The border for epileptic or diabetic is optional, not mandatory.
Senator Jacobsen:
Just looking at the pictures, they are very distinguishable. Looks nice to use for identification.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Years ago we talked about a bar code on the back of the license. Is that what this is?
Ms. Daly:
Yes, this is the earliest stage but it will probably be larger.
Chairman O’Donnell:
This will allow the retailers and business people to swipe, through a device, the driver’s license so they can read it.
Ms. Daly:
No, that would require a 2-D (two dimensional) magnetic stripe.
Charles Powell, Trooper, Nevada Highway Patrol Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety (DMV/PS):
Currently I am working in conjunction with the Office of Traffic Safety, DMV/PS, on the bar code. Quite a few law enforcement agencies, state and local, are working on this. The intent is to take the bar code that is placed on the back of the driver’s license and actually scan it in on a palm-style device. This will support citations and hopefully carry over onto other areas.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Instead of having the officers spend time and effort filling in little boxes about whether they were male and the age of the person, you will scan it with a little device and have the ticket all ready.
Mr. Powell:
Yes, it will improve the accuracy of the data that is actually captured and it will lessen the officer’s involvement with a violator. This will expedite things for the law enforcement agencies that will be involved.
Chairman O’Donnell:
The bar code does not require a change in the law, is that correct?
Mr. Powell:
Yes. I have copies of the “Nevada Office of Traffic Safety Newsletter” for you (Exhibit E).
Senator Carlton:
I would like to congratulate you on the design. Being a waitress who has to check IDs many times a day, it will make it a lot easier because it cannot be altered in any way, as the typical laminated ID can be altered.
Peter D. Krueger, Lobbyist, Nevada Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (NPM&CSA):
We are here in support of S.B. 260. The question was asked about benefits regarding IDs for age-restricted products. In the retail and other business capacities that have to determine age, we think that the vertical license for under 21 is a beginning step. We have some reservations about the 2‑D bar code, but we have an agreement with Director Kirkland (Richard Kirkland, Director, DMV/PS) to work on the interim committee. The contract has been let on the 2-D bar code, so it is pretty much a done deal, but we are here in support of this bill.
We feel there are some things that can be done to help retailers further be able to identify those individuals that are attempting to buy age-restricted products under the age of 18 or 21. Again, we think it is a good start. Continued cooperation between NPM&CSA and DMV/PS will ensure that we get a law enforcement product. This is not for retailers, but we all agree that some things could be done to help people that have to use these as some form of identification.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Are you going to use that bar code in your retail stores for ID checks, is that your intent in the future?
Mr. Krueger:
Yes, that is our intent. There are currently three kinds of things out there: There is the magnetic stripe that most retailers now have for a credit card; there was the 1-D bar code, which is the first generation of the technology, and now there is the 2-D. Probably by the time we get these out, there will be 3-D (three dimensional) and 4-D (four dimensional). This is a good start to help us all root out young people who want to portray themselves as something other than the correct age.
Senator Jacobsen:
Is there any ID today that is authorized by law? Most people require a driver’s license but what about aged people that do not even drive? Do they have some kind of ID card?
Mr. Krueger:
We have an ID card for those people who choose not to drive, cannot drive, or those who just want that form of identification. It does not allow you to drive a car but it says who you are.
Senator Jacobsen:
I noticed the sample cards (Exhibit D) had numbers, 1234567. Is that the place your Social Security would go?
Mr. Parsons:
The numbers that appear on drivers’ licenses and ID cards no longer reflect the Social Security number. It is tied to it in the database, but it is not reflected on the ID card or the driver’s license.
Senator Jacobsen:
Does a patrolman or law enforcement officer have the ability to confiscate a card on the scene?
Mr. Parsons:
Yes, they do if it has been altered, suspended, or other items such as that.
Chairman O’Donnell:
What about a DUI (driving under the influence) if you fail to cooperate with the test?
Mr. Parsons:
Correct. Drivers’ licenses are taken in a few cases.
Senator Jacobsen:
If that is the case and you confiscate my car, does that prohibit me from driving home?
Mr. Parsons:
Yes, it does prohibit you legally from driving.
Mr. Krueger:
Just to follow up on that, we do not believe there is any statute that allows retailers to hold on, or confiscate, but it is a common practice among the retail trade. I think, in the casino trade, it is pretty common that if a young person presents an ID that looks altered, the merchant will send the person away without the ID. I do not believe we have statutory authority to do that but what young person is going to call law enforcement and complain that they stole a fake ID.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Nowadays they do not call law enforcement, they come back with a gun. You may be on tenuous grounds. The proper thing to do is to take down the license plate or ID number and notify the police.
Chairman O'Donnell:
I will close the hearing on S.B. 260. There being no further business, the meeting is adjourned at 2:37 p.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Alice Nevin,
Committee Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman
DATE: