Connecticut House Bill HB05494

Connecticut 2011 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/19/11
• Refer: 1/19/11
• Refer: 2/3/11

Caption

An Act Permitting Local Police To Charge For Motor Vehicle Accident Or Investigative Reports.

Impact

If enacted, HB 05494 would directly amend Section 7-282 of the Connecticut General Statutes, establishing a standardized fee structure for local police departments across the state. This could lead to additional revenue streams for local law enforcement agencies, which, proponents argue, could be used to enhance public safety services. The retention period for accident-related documents is also specified, requiring records to be preserved for at least ten years, thereby increasing transparency and accountability in the handling of such records.

Summary

House Bill 05494, also known as the Act Permitting Local Police To Charge For Motor Vehicle Accident Or Investigative Reports, aims to empower local police departments to charge fees for specific documents related to motor vehicle accidents and investigations. This change is intended to align the local police's authority with the existing capabilities of the Commissioner of Public Safety, who already has the right to impose such charges. The bill specifically delineates the fees that can be charged, set at 16 dollars for copies of accident reports and 8 dollars for searches that yield no documents.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding the bill appears to be largely supportive among law enforcement advocates, who believe that the fee structure is reasonable and necessary to support police operations. They argue that the costs associated with retrieving and processing these documents warrant a fee. However, there may be concern from the public regarding accessibility to these reports, particularly for individuals involved in accidents who may face financial burdens when needing to obtain such documents.

Contention

Although there are no explicitly noted points of contention in the available summaries, potential debates may arise around the fairness of charging individuals for documents that they perceive as public records. The bill's success hinges on balancing the need for law enforcement funding with the public's right to access records related to their personal incidents, posing a philosophical question about government service funding and transparency.