AB 1634 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Child health and safety: "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plate program.

Summary

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California Legacy License Plate Program, and to create and issue a series of specialized license plates, consisting of one or more of 3 specified designs that replicate license plates from the state's past. Existing law imposes additional fees for the issuance, renewal, replacement, and transfer of these license plates and requires that those additional fees be deposited in the California Environmental License Plate Fund. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help our Kids" special license plates that include specified shapes and imposes additional fees, as specified, for their issuance, renewal, replacement, and transfer. Existing law requires that those additional fees be deposited in the Child Health and Safety Fund, as specified. This bill would authorize, commencing July 1, 2027, an applicant for a California Legacy License Plate to apply to use a shape from the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help our Kids" special license plates for an additional fee, and would require that funds from the fees generated be deposited in the California Environmental License Plate Fund and the Child Health and Safety Fund, as specified. The bill would additionally increase the fees, commencing July 1, 2027, for the initial issuance and renewal of the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plates. Existing law requires that 50% of the funds derived from the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plates be available, upon appropriation, to the State Department of Social Services for administering various provisions related to childcare licensing, as specified. Existing law requires that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the remaining balance be available, as described, for programs that address other categories of potential childhood injury, as specified. This bill would require moneys allocated to the Child Health and Safety Fund from the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plates and the California Legacy License Plates to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified, including allocating 25% to the State Department of Social Services for administering various provisions related to childcare licensing, as specified. The bill would allocate the remaining for programs that address specified child health and safety concerns and specified child abuse prevention purposes. The bill would also include provisions that would permit a portion of these funds, allocated to the Emergency Medical Services Authority, to be expended for the preparation of a specified report to the Legislature required by AB 1639 of the 2025–26 Regular Session, and would make those provisions operative contingent upon the enactment of that bill, as specified.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 26, 2026 Last action May 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/09/26 - Amended Assembly → AB1634 · 3 edits

MINOR

This diff represents a reformatting of AB 1634 from a formatted legislative document (with line numbers, page headers, and formal layout) to a web-published version with navigation elements. The substantive bill text, including all fee amounts, fund allocation percentages, sunset dates, and program provisions, remains unchanged between the two versions.

TECHNICAL

Removed formal legislative document formatting including line numbers, page headers/footers (e.g., '98 AB 1634 -2-'), and column layout in favor of a continuous web-readable format.

Added web navigation elements including skip-to-content links, home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login, quick search, bill information, text, votes, history, bill analysis, status, comments, track bill, and share options.

Changed header from 'AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2026' with formal legislative styling to a web page title format reading 'Bill Text - AB-1634 Child health and safety: Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids license plate program.'

01/26/26 - Introduced → 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Apr 9, 2026

MODERATE

AB 1634 was substantially restructured to defer key changes until July 1, 2027. The amendment creates a two-phase approach: existing license plate fees and fund allocations remain in effect until that date, then higher fees for 'Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids' plates take effect alongside a new version of the California Legacy License Plate Program that allows personalization with those symbols. Fund allocation rules were simplified, removing detailed per-capita distribution formulas for county commissions.

TIMELINE

All major changes (fee increases, Legacy Plate personalization, new fund allocation rules) are now deferred to July 1, 2027 via sunset-and-readd provisions. The old sections expire on that date and new sections become operative the same day.

FISCAL

Fee increases for 'Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids' plates are deferred: initial issuance stays at $50 (not $90) and renewal stays at $40 (not $80) until July 1, 2027. Department-assigned plate fees also remain at lower levels ($20/$15) until that date.

Fund allocation under Section 18285 was simplified. The introduced version had detailed per-capita distribution formulas allocating funds to First 5 county commissions based on county population thresholds (over 500,000 vs. under). The amended version removes those complex formulas and instead provides that the balance after the 50% DSS allocation is available for programs addressing child health and safety concerns, with child abuse prevention capped at 25%.

A new provision permits a portion of funds allocated to the Emergency Medical Services Authority to be used for preparing a report required by AB 1639, contingent on that bill's enactment.

SCOPE

The ability for California Legacy License Plate holders to personalize with 'Have a Heart' symbols (heart, star, hand, plus-sign) is now deferred to July 1, 2027 rather than being available immediately.

TECHNICAL

The bill was restructured from amending existing sections to repealing and re-adding them with sunset dates, creating a clean legal transition on July 1, 2027. A coauthor (Assembly Member Stefani) was added.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Without further action pursuant to Joint Rule 62(a).

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, second hearing. Failed passage.

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and TRANS.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee February 26.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor