Mississippi legislation addresses safety inspections, salvage titles

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.

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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.