Budget Amendment ID: FY2015-S4-642

TRP 642

EZ-ID License Plate Task Force

Messrs. Tarr, Ross, Humason and McGee and Ms. Lovely moved that the proposed new text be amended moved that the bill be amended by inserting, after section ___, the following new section:-

SECTION XXX. There is hereby established a special task force to analyze the feasibility of a vehicle registration plate system that utilizes non-alphanumeric symbols as part of the registration identification for plates issued by the registrar of motor vehicles. The task force shall consist of the registrar of motor vehicles, who shall serve as the chair; the colonel of the state police or a designee; a representative of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association; a designee from the Molly Bish Center for Missing and Exploited Children; the secretary of administration and finance or a designee; the secretary of transportation or a designee; the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security or a designee; a representative of the State Police Association of Massachusetts; a member of a labor organization representing police officers designated by the governor; and as ex officio members a representative from the United States Department of Transportation, a representative from the United States Department of Justice, a representative from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a representative from the United States Department of Homeland Security.

The study shall be directed to the feasibility of such a system, its cost, time frame for implementation, impact on federal, state and local law enforcement and between states and the tools and equipment necessary to produce enhanced recognition and identification registration plates. The study shall assess: human factors involved in the mental recognition of vehicle license plates, including human reaction to numbers, letters, characters and symbols and the ability to cognitively process them; provided, however, that the task force shall rely upon scientific studies that analyze and assess such human reaction and such ability as applied to not fewer than 15 non-alpha-numeric symbols as appearing on license plates traveling on public and non-public ways; provided further, that such scientific studies have been peer reviewed; and provided further, that the task force shall consult with relevant research or clinical scientists and medical professionals in the field of cognitive psychology and perception to verify the accuracy of the information it reviews; (ii) transportation-based factors including, but not limited to, the impact on toll revenues; (iii) interfaces with motor vehicle databases in other states including, without limitation, any licensing and registration system used by the registry of motor vehicles; and (iv) criminal information system accessibility.

The task force may conduct 1 or more public hearings to inform the public of its activities. The report of the task force shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives not later than December 31, 2014.