The Mississippi legislature has seen an abundance of new
legislation proposed so far this year. Among automotive-related
bills introduced:
Rep. Steven Horne, R-81, proposed House Bill 151, which
has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee. As discussed in
a previous Automotive Service Association (ASA) press release,
this bill looks to repeal Mississippi’s annual motor vehicle
safety inspections.
In addition, Rep. Robert Moak, D-53, introduced House Bill
480, which has been referred to the House Committee on Insurance
and additionally referred to the House Committee on
Transportation.
H.B. 480 includes:
- Revising the definition of motor vehicle to include leased
vehicles and rent-to-own vehicles and defines those terms,
- Requiring insurance companies that provide motor vehicle
liability insurance on motor vehicles registered in the state to
provide the Department of Public Safety with descriptions of the
covered vehicles,
- Notifying the Department of Public Safety when a motor
vehicle liability insurance policy lapses.
Moak also introduced House Bill 484, which prohibits any
motor vehicle for which a salvage or junk certificate of title has
been issued from being operated on the highways. It also provides
the exceptions that motor vehicles will be considered salvaged
when the frame or engine is removed from a motor vehicle and not
immediately replaced by another frame or engine, or when an
insurance company has made a settlement for a total loss of the
motor vehicle.
PAGE 2 Rep. Walter L. Robinson, D-63, introduced House Bill 548,
which has been sent to the House Committee on Insurance. The bill
provides that vehicle service contract providers may issue, sell
or offer for sale vehicle service contracts regardless of whether
the provider is insured under a reimbursement insurance policy if
the provider or provider’s parent company has a net worth or
stockholder’s equity in an amount equal to or greater than $100
million and the provider meets certain filing requirements.
Rep. Gary A Chism, R-37, introduced House Bill 620, known
as the Public Safety Verification and Enforcement Act. This bill
requires the Department of Public Safety, in cooperation with the
commissioner of insurance, to create an accessible common
carrier-based motor vehicle insurance verification system. The
bill also provides for law enforcement use of the system and
allows insurers to provide certain information to be used in the
system.
To view the text of any of these bills or the text of the
previous release encouraging the killing of House Bill 151, a bill
that would repeal annual safety inspections of motor vehicles,
visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.
