AzMotorNews.com
2005 Arizona Legislative Review
This Review Last Updated On Monday 2-14-05
65 Vehicle Related Bills Of 1,238 Bills & 124 Resolutions Being Proposed In The 2005 Az State Legislative Session
(Az Session Began 1-10-05 And Typically Ends In Early May)
* Note Bill Reviews Listed in Order Of Interest To Az Motorists.
Click On Bill # To Check Current Status & To Read Actual Bill.
HB2357 - Emissions testing; motorcycles; collectible. vehicles. *(Based on the results of a 12-04 AzDEQ study, this bill will exempt from e-testing all MC's in Tucson & CV's in Phoenix & Tucson that are 15-years & older with CV insurance.) STATUS: HB2357 Passed from the Az House on 2-7-05 and is waiting for Committee assignments in the Az Senate.
HB2555 - Motorcycle safety fund. *(Removes the cap on funds allotted to Arizona's MSF & allows for continuous appropriations which are administered by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and used to promote MC safety and training.) STATUS: HB2555 Is waiting for hearing's in the Az House Transportation, Appropriations and Rules Committees.
HB2530 - Unauthorized assembly of vehicles; penalty. *(For the 4th year in a row, this vague & heavy-handed vampire of a bill has come back from the dead to terrorize teenagers and haunt car collectors state-wide. This bill gives local govt.'s the power of "civil seizure" of vehicles for traffic congestion. The City of Phoenix wants to be able to tow & impound vehicles just for cruising, no other infraction is necessary to be towed by this law.) STATUS: HB2530 Is waiting for hearing's in the Az House Transportation, & "Counties, Municipalities and Military Affairs" & Rules Committees.
SB1089 - Vehicle impoundment; storage; administrative charges. *(Removes the maximum legal limits on impound fees & storage charges allowing price-gouging state-wide.)
HB2561 - Racing on highways; vehicle impoundment. *(Upon a driver's conviction, it allows for a 90 day impoundment of the vehicle he used regardless if he owned the vehicle or not. It also leaves in question whether the vehicle will be impounded during the time it takes to go to court and be convicted before it then becomes eligible for this enhanced impoundment penalty, and what if the owner sells the vehicle before the case is settled? Also, if no vehicular bail is set, will the accused vehicle be eligible for a reduced impound due to time served from its pre-conviction impoundment? Obvious over-kill here.)
SB1420 - Uninsured drivers; penalties; vehicle impound. *(Another tough new impound law with a mandatory 30 day impound of the wrecked vehicle & a mandatory $500 fine on top of the existing mandatory fine for no insurance and a mandatory 6-month drivers license suspension for the already license-less driver who is involved in the accident. This feel-good law will do nothing but expand governmental seizure powers.)
HB2147 - Forfeiture; burden; attorney fees; counsel. *(Will allow exceptions to forfeiture laws for innocent folks & will now require a "conviction" for the crime charged before the loss of property to "criminal-related" seizures by govt. agencies.)
HB2576 - Civil forfeiture after conviction. *(Try's to control over-zealous confiscation of private property by requiring the defendant to actually be "guilty" of the offense charged before losing any property to "civil seizures" by govt. agencies.)
SB1391 - Vehicle certificate of title; beneficiary. *(Allows a "transfer upon death" notation to be added to a vehicles title to allow the owner to pass the vehicle on to a specific beneficiary.)
HB2208 - Certificates of title; financial responsibility. *(Requires proof of insurance to get a vehicle title even though insurance is already mandatory for a vehicles registration, this will cause problems for buyers of parts cars and restoration projects.)
HB2160 - Motor vehicle raising & lowering. *(Allows for a secondary enforcement ticket if all wheels are not on the ground when going over 15mph, or, if any part other then the tires touch the ground. It also ends the vehicle height requirement of 12" from the ground to the bottom of a license plate.)
HB2207 - Non-commercial historic vehicle equipment. *(Allows collector-plated vehicles to have original style emergency lights.)
HB2326 - Emissions testing; in lieu repeal. *(Drops the e-test "in lieu of testing fee's" for 1 to 5 year old vehicles who are excused from e-testing but still have to pay for the test they don't have to take. In other word's it's no taxation without testation.)
SB1028 - Vehicle emissions tailpipe test. *(Allows for 1996 and newer vehicles who fail the e-test OBD test with a "computer error" code to re-test immediately using the IM-147 test normally given only to 1981 to 1995 vehicles.)
SB1290 - HOV lanes; hybrid vehicles. *(Allows single-occupant hybrid-powered vehicles to use car-pool lanes during rush hours.)
HB2510 - Trailer license plates. *(Create's motorcycle sized license plates for smaller trailers.)
SB1167 - Child Abuse special plates; motorcycles. *(Special commemorative license plate for MC's.)
HB2424 - Golden Rule special license plates. *(Special commemorative license plate for car's & light trucks.)
SB1165 - License plate commission; repeal. *(Eliminates the Az License Plate Commission and shifts its duties elsewhere in the department.)
HB2504 - Vehicle restraint violation; enforcement. *(This Az House bill will permit primary enforcement of Az's seat-belt law. That will make it OK to pull people over and use roadblocks just to check seat-belt use even though Az had a 90% compliance rate in a recent study. Also, in other states, minorities and drivers of older cars built before seat-belt laws have complained of profiling and frequent pull-overs for "belt-checks.")
SB1484 - Vehicle restraint violations; enforcement. *(This Az Senate bill will permit primary enforcement of Az's seat-belt law. That will make it OK to pull people over and use roadblocks just to check seat-belt use even though Az had a 90% compliance rate in a recent study. Also, in other states, minorities and drivers of older cars built before seat-belt laws have complained of profiling and frequent pull-overs for "belt-checks.")
HB2532 - Transporting minor passengers in trucks. *(Prohibits minors from riding in pickup truck bed's traveling over 35mph with a few exceptions.)
HB2212 - Transporting passengers in vehicles. *(Say's passenger's may only ride in the "factory designated" passenger areas of vehicles which is a sneaky way of banning everyone from riding in pickup truck bed's.)
SB1329 - Increasing speed limits; highways. *(Redefines "excessive speed" as 15mph over posted Interstate Highway speed limits and sets a 80mph maximum speed limit for the whole State of Arizona.)
SB1330 - Vehicle speed limits. *(Reduces maximum speed limits from 75mph to 65mph near cities by establishing a geographic standard intended to over-ride AzDOT's engineering standards based upon the actual road conditions.)
SB1324 - Speed limit; eighty-five percent. *(Logically says a State Highway's maximum speed limit shall be set at 85% of the average speed driven on that road.)
SB1503 - Speed limit enforcement. *(Specifically over-rules the long-standing and logical "reasonable & prudent" speed defense when driving over the "posted" speed limit.)
SB1321 - Driver point system; speed violations. *(Says any driver convicted of violating the "reasonable & prudent" speed laws shall receive 1-point against their driving record.)
SB1494 - Defensive driving school; eligibility. (comm. drv's)
HB2119 - Photo enforcement; civil penalties.
HB2260 - Photo enforcement; traffic complaints.
SB1164 - Photo radar; controlled access highways.
SB1326 - Photo enforcement contracts.
SB1328 - Photo enforcement; process server costs.
HB2471 - Authorized emergency vehicles; right of way. *(Requires a driver not to drive parallel to and to maintain 300-feet behind a police car in pursuit and to slow down and change into the far lane if possible when passing one that has its emergency lights on along the side of the road.)
HB2469 - Emergency vehicles; right of way. *(Requires a driver to maintain a safe-speed and to change into the far lane if possible when passing an emergency vehicle or a tow-truck making a vehicle pickup or a parked highway maintenance vehicle that has their emergency lights on along the side of the road.)
HB2230 - Accidents; injured animals; leaving scene. *(Requires a driver who hits and injures a domestic animal to take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner or a Peace Officer as soon as possible. Not doing so will result in a Class 3 Misdemeanor.)
HB2159 - Cellular telephones; use while driving. *(Makes it a violation to hold a cell phone to your head while driving. Hands-free phones will still be OK while driving. Feel safer now?)
HB2343 - Vehicles; special registration. *(Extends the non-resident temporary vehicle registration permit from 30 days to 90 days.)
HB2415 - Older motor vehicles; registration. *(Creates a permanent license plate & registration fee structure for 25-year and older vehicles as well as exempts them from emission-testing. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much chance of passing as the "number's" don't really add-up for this bill regarding fee's & emissions.) STATUS: HB2415 Is waiting for hearing's in the Az House Environment, Transportation & Rules Committees.
HB2130 - Emissions testing; collectible cars. *(Requires the AzDEQ to contact the US-EPA to request an exemption from emission-testing for "Collectable Vehicles" that are 15-years & older with CV insurance from the state's air quality implementation or maintenance plan based on the department's findings pursuant to Laws 2002, chapter 146. This bill sort of duplicates HB2357, bill #1 at the top of this list, except that it doesn't include motorcycles. It could be pushed and/or amended later in the Session if HB2357 should fail to pass. Consider this "Plan B" for HB2357.) STATUS: HB2130 Is waiting for hearing's in the Az House Transportation, Environment & Rules Committees.
SB1280 - Emissions testing 25 year exemption. *(Requires the AzDEQ to exempt 25-year and older vehicles and 25-year and older motorcycles from emission-testing. This bill doesn't have much support at the State Capital so consider this "Plan C" for HB2357.) STATUS: SB1280 Is waiting for hearing's in the Az Senate Transportation & Rules Committees.
HB2553 - Vehicles; (engine) brake devices; muffler required.
HB2524 - Air bags; installation; violations.
HB2525 - Providing minors alcohol; license suspension. *(Will suspend the drivers license for either 6 or 12 months of anyone who knowingly provides liquor to minors with a few exceptions.)
SB1160 - DUI assessments (larger fines); DPS equipment;
HB2235 - (DUI) Aggravated driving under the influence.
SB1195 - (DUI) Ignition interlock devices; installers; manuf's
SB1240 - (DUI) Certified ignition interlock devices.
SB1243 - (DUI) Violations; ignition interlock requirements.
SB1254 - (DUI) Immobilization of vehicles.
HB2393 - Driver licenses and (use of) fraudulent documents.
HB2568 - Drivers licenses; not citizens proof.
HB2566 - Drivers license (suspension); drug offense; minors.
HB2450 - Vehicle repossession board. *(Creates a VRB which will license, test and regulate Arizona's vast vehicle repossession industry.)
HB2092 - Vehicle towing; competitive bidding.
HB2110 - DPS towing bids.
HB2301 - Theft of gas; definition.
HB2354 - Biodiesel fuel incentives.
SB1154 - Vehicle fuel; prohibited oxygenates.
HB2558 - Motor vehicle dealer license plates. (adjustments)
SB1103 - MVD continuation; five years.
HB2200 - Emissions testing facility; appropriation. *(Funding for Apache Junction's e-testing facility.)
SB1222 - Roundabouts; petition signatures; adopted resolut.
HCR2039 - "55 Alive" program. *(In support of the AARP's "55 Alive" safe-drivers program.)
For more information visit the Arizona State
Legislatures remodeled website at:
http://www.azleg.state.az.us./ and just type in the bill
# in the bill # search box to quickly and easily
check any bill's status.
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