Vehicle registration; limits certain exemptions to pickup and panel trucks, etc. (HB1277)

Introduced By

Del. Ed Scott (R-Culpeper)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Vehicle exempt from registration. Limits certain exemptions from registration to pickup and panel trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 7500 pounds. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/20/2010Committee
01/20/2010Presented and ordered printed 10104178D
01/20/2010Referred to Committee on Transportation
01/29/2010Assigned Transportation sub: #3
02/01/2010Impact statement from DPB (HB1277)
02/02/2010Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 0-N)
02/04/2010Reported from Transportation with substitute (21-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/04/2010Committee substitute printed 10104938D-H1
02/08/2010Read first time
02/09/2010Read second time
02/09/2010Committee substitute agreed to 10104938D-H1
02/09/2010Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1277H1
02/10/2010Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
02/10/2010VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/11/2010Impact statement from DPB (HB1277H1)
02/11/2010Constitutional reading dispensed
02/11/2010Referred to Committee on Transportation
02/18/2010Reported from Transportation with substitute (13-Y 2-N) (see vote tally)
02/18/2010Committee substitute printed 10105482D-S1
02/21/2010Impact statement from DPB (HB1277S1)
02/22/2010Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2010Read third time
02/23/2010Reading of substitute waived
02/23/2010Committee substitute agreed to 10105482D-S1
02/23/2010Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB1277S1
02/23/2010Passed Senate with substitute (37-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
02/24/2010Placed on Calendar
02/25/2010Senate substitute agreed to by House 10105482D-S1 (98-Y 1-N)
02/25/2010VOTE: --- ADOPTION (98-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2010Enrolled
03/03/2010Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1277ER)
03/03/2010Signed by Speaker
03/04/2010Impact statement from DPB (HB1277ER)
03/06/2010Signed by President
04/08/2010G Approved by Governor-Chapter 293 (effective 7/1/10)
04/08/2010G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0293)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 1 minute.

Comments

Waldo Jaquith writes:

By way of explanation, the purpose of this is to narrow significantly the scope of the vehicles that are permitted to be owned without registration when used as farm vehicles. Right now, any vehicle that is meant to be used on a farm, and only rarely operated on public highways, does not need to be registered, since that's a vehicle that needs (virtually) no state transportation services. That incudes trailers. This bill would allow only trucks, SUVs, and really big vehicles to qualify. No more trailers.

My question is this: Why? If a farmer wants to use a motorcycle to get around his property and doesn't use it on the roads, why should he have to register it? If he wants to use a Subaru Outback to ferry fertilizer and lambs around, and it never touches a paved road, why is that any of the DMV's business?

Ed Scott writes:

Waldo,
Thanks for the question. The intent of the bill is to eliminate some of the abuse of this exemption by not allowing cars to be claimed as farm use vehicles. The bill was properly amended in subcommittee to resinsert trailers as allowed to be exempt.
The original idea behind this exemption was to give farmers an exemption from registration for vehicles that are used exclusively for farming purposes and may only be used seasonally. Unfortunately, the exemption is abused and this bill addresses some of that abuse and makes it clearer for law enforcement as to what vehicles may be claimed for exemption.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

I see—so the reality of the situation is that very few legitimate farm vehicles are anything other that pickup trucks, so by eliminating the use of other vehicles, the practical effect is to reduce abuse, with a minimum of impact on legitimate farm vehicles. That certainly makes sense to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read responses to your bills and, better still, answer questions!