Brief Description: Addressing traffic infractions involving rental vehicles.

Sponsors: Representative Appleton.

Hearing Date: 2/1/06

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

When liability for a traffic infraction based on the identity of the vehicle is determined to reside in a vehicle registered to a car rental company, current law creates a thirty day window from the time the car rental company is informed of the traffic infraction. Within this time frame, the car rental company may either provide, under oath, the name and address of the person driving the vehicle or state, under oath, that they are unable to determine who was driving or renting the vehicle at the time the infraction occurred.

Mailing this statement to the issuing law enforcement agency within the thirty day window relieves the car rental company of liability for the infraction. In lieu of identifying the vehicle operator, the company may also choose to pay the applicable penalty.

A traffic infraction based on the identity of the vehicle is defined to include, but is not limited to, parking infractions, high-occupancy toll lane violations, and violations recorded by automated traffic safety cameras.

Summary of Bill:

When the owner of a vehicle is a rental car business, parking infractions issued by private parking facilities based on a vehicle's identification are subject to the same statutory scheme currently applicable to infractions based on a vehicle's identification issued by law enforcement agencies.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 30, 2006.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.