State Watch – March/April 2021

Included in this issue’s State Watch you will find the Political Playbook starting on Page 42. The directory is your reference guide for tracking federal, state and local issues important to you.

Here, Land Line rounds up some recent actions at statehouses. For a complete rundown of state legislation, visit LandLine.Media.

Alabama

A Senate bill covers the use of automatic license plate readers. SB2 would allow law enforcement to use scanners on public highways to investigate a criminal offense or activity initiated by a law enforcement agency. Law enforcement agencies throughout the state would be authorized to exchange or share captured data.

Florida

One House bill would ban municipalities from using red-light cameras to issue citations.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports there are 58 local governments around the state operating more than 500 red-light cameras.

HB6009 would repeal the program allowing use of the ticket tool.

New Jersey

A bill moving through the Senate is intended to put an end to police ticket quotas. New Jersey law prohibits ticketing numbers from being the “sole” factor when evaluating officer performance. S1322 would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using the volume of an officer’s arrests or citations as a factor when evaluating that officer’s overall performance.

A separate bill, S1764, would create a task force to investigate and evaluate the consolidation of transportation agencies that include the New Jersey Department of Transportation, New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and South Jersey Transportation Authority. The group would have one year to meet and draft a report for the Legislature and governor detailing the steps toward consolidation. The report must include potential issues posed by the consolidation and a detailed accounting of cost savings.

Gov. Phil Murphy has signed into law a bill to help drivers avoid Motor Vehicle Commission sites and to reduce lines. A4486 authorizes the commission to extend the time that a stored driver’s license or identification card photo can be used from eight years to 12 years. Additionally, drivers over the age of 65 are allowed to use stored photos indefinitely.

Pennsylvania

Gov. Tom Wolf has signed into law a bill to increase penalties and shorten the time period for a CDL holder to report a nonparking traffic conviction to their employer.

Previously HB2296, the new law specifies that a CDL holder must notify his or her employer of a nonparking traffic violation conviction within 15 days – down from 30 days.

Additionally, drivers would be required to report to their employer within 30 days of traffic violation arrests, citations or charges. The new law forbids an employer from terminating the employee unless he or she is convicted of the violation.

South Carolina

Multiple bills are of note. H3011 would double the $100 fine for drivers hanging out in the far left lane of highways. Also included is a two-point violation for improper driving in the left lane. An exception would be made for CDL holders. Truck drivers found in violation would face $50 fines. No points would be assessed against his or her driving record.

H3137 would let the South Carolina DOT use automatic license plate readers at entrance ramps to weigh stations. The agency would be authorized to use the equipment for the electronic verification of registration, logs, and other compliance data “to provide more efficient movement of commercial vehicles.” Data could be shared with other law enforcement agencies.

Utah

One House bill would increase fees for all vehicle registrations and drivers’ licenses by $5 each. HB24 is estimated to raise $7.2 million annually. The revenue would be used for a new state DOT computer system.

A proposed bill would make the “intentional obstruction of traffic during a riot” a third-degree felony. The legislation would also “eliminate criminal responsibility” for drivers who injure and/or kill anyone while the vehicle is “attempting to flee from a riot.”

The protection for drivers would be applied during instances when there is “a reasonable belief that fleeing is necessary to protect the motor vehicle driver from serious injury or death.” Additionally, the driver must be “exercising due care” at the time of the injury or death. LL