SF 422 – National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
HF 588 – Expiration for disabled parking placards
HF 597 – Itemize where fines go from speed & red light cameras
FLOOR ACTION:
HF 563 is an effort to preserve a fair and level playing field, assist law enforcement in deterring and preventing vehicle-related crimes, and enhance consumer protection in the purchase and sale of motor vehicles.
Iowa is one of 37 states that participate in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). This bill codifies participation as a requirement. NMVTIS is the federally mandated motor vehicle title history database maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice. It links states’ motor vehicle title records and requires the reporting of junk and salvage motor vehicles for verification of a vehicle’s history, as well as the accuracy and legality of its title, before a purchase or title transfer occurs.
The bill creates an alternative way for a motor vehicle owner who does not have a certificate of title or junking certificate to dispose of the vehicle with a vehicle recycler for scrap or junk if the vehicle is 12 model years old or older and is worth less than $1,000. An “affidavit of ownership” is for end-of-life vehicles only. It requires a vehicle owner to provide, under penalty of perjury:
** Their name and telephone number.
** Vehicle information, including year, make, model, body type and color.
** Vehicle Information Number (VIN).
** Whether or not there is a lien on the vehicle.
The bill requires applicants seeking to become an authorized vehicle recycler to provide proof of registration with the NMVTIS. In addition, the bill requires a vehicle recycler license to state the licensee’s registration number for the NMVTIS.
The bill requires a licensed vehicle recycler subject to federal regulations relating to the NMVTIS to register with the NMVTIS, and for any vehicle purchased by the vehicle recycler, to comply with the federal reporting requirements within two business days of purchasing the vehicle. The reporting requirement includes information such as:
** VIN information, current state of title and last title date.
** Odometer reading.
** Total loss history.
** Salvage history.
** Other information that the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) may require.
Records of the vehicle recycler’s compliance must be kept for at least three years, and must be open for inspection during normal business hours. The bill provides that the DOT must adopt rules to implement these provisions. A violation of these provisions is a simple misdemeanor punishable by a fine of at least $250, but not to exceed $1,500, and imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.
An authorized vehicle recycler license, or an application for such a license, may be denied, revoked or suspended for noncompliance. [4/6: 48-0 (Dearden, Segebart absent)]
COMMITTEE ACTION:
HF 588 addresses the problem of people wrongly using disability-parking placards. The problem has grown as able-bodied individuals borrow or steal disability placards or obtain one from somebody who has died. These people use disabled parking spots, making them unavailable to those who really need them. The cards should be turned in when they are no longer needed, but they often aren’t.
Under this bill, placards issued starting January 1, 2016, would expire in five years and require renewal if still needed. A registration number would be visible from outside the car. Violation would result in a fine of $100. Those who currently have a lifetime placard would be grandfathered in. [4/2: 11-0 (Feenstra, Kraayenbrink absent)]
HF 597 provides that if a ticket is issued because of speeding or red light running caught on an Automated Traffic Enforcement camera, the citation must provide:
- An itemized list of the fines and fees assessed.
- The names of vendors that will receive a portion of fines and fees.
- The amount of fines and fees retained by local government.
- The amount of fines and fees each vendor will receive. [4/2: 9-2 (Danielson, McCoy “no”; Feenstra, Kraayenbrink absent)]