O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 24-20—sSB 183
Transportation Committee
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONCERN ING LOW-
SPEED VEHICLES, THE TOWING OF OCCUPIED V EHICLES, SCHOOL
BUSES, ELECTRIC COMM ERCIAL VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER
REGISTRATION OF PICK -UP TRUCKS AND REMOV ABLE
WINDSHIELD PLACARDS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE BLIND AND
PERSONS WITH DISABIL ITIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
§§ 1-3 — ELECTRONIC ISSUANCE LICENSES
Requires registration and title companies that file applications electronically to get an electronic
issuance license from DMV and establishes a licensing process and licensee operating
requirements; lowers the threshold at which these companies may be required to file
electronically; increases the total amount of surety bonds these companies must provide
§ 4 — MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSPORTER REGISTRATION
Imposes a late fee for failing to timely renew a transporter registration and prohibits DMV from
renewing one 45 days after expiration
§ 5 — DEALER AND REPAIRER BACKGROUND CHE CKS
Modifies the requirements for fingerprinting and background checks for applicants for a new or
renewed motor vehicle dealer’s or repairer’s license
§ 6 — MOTOR VEHICLE RECYCLERS SURETY BON DS
Requires motor vehicle recyclers to furnish a $25,000 surety bond
§§ 7-9 — COMMERCIAL DRIVING SCHOOLS AND INSTRUCTORS
Increases the surety bond amount for driving schools to $50,000 per location, requires driving
instructors to wear ID badges while providing instruction, and makes other changes related to
driving school and instructor licensees
§ 10 — ALTERED, COMPOSITE, GREY-MARKET, AND SALVAGE
VEHICLES
Requires that salvage vehicles be inspected by DMV-authorized repairers rather than DMV and
defines the different categories of altered vehicles that must be inspected before titling and
registering them
§§ 11-32 & 39 — MINOR AND TECHNICAL CHAN GES O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Makes numerous minor and technical changes, principally to change references to “commercial
driver’s instruction permit” to “commercial learner’s permit,” conforming to the term used in
federal law
§§ 33-36 — LOW-SPEED VEHICLES
Generally allows the operation of “low-speed vehicles” on roads with speed limits up to 25 mph
and makes them “motor vehicles” under state motor vehicle laws (i.e., Title 14), generally
subjecting them to the same requirements as other vehicles under these laws
§ 37 — TOWING OCCUPIED VEHICLES
Prohibits a licensed wrecker from knowingly allowing any person to occupy a vehicle while it is
being towed
§ 38 — SCHOOL BUS IDLING
Requires the DMV commissioner, by September 1, 2024, to review, and amend or revise if needed,
any regulations or policies on inspecting school buses to ensure they promote adherence to anti-
idling laws
§ 40 — SCHOOL BUS SEAT BELTS
Reestablishes and makes permanent a DMV school bus seat belt pilot program to provide 50%
sales tax refunds for purchases of buses equipped with three-point seat belts
§ 41 — WEIGHT TOLERANCE EXEMPTION FOR ELECTRIC
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Grants a weight tolerance exemption to primarily electric commercial motor vehicles driving on
any road in the state, allowing them to exceed the state’s various vehicle weight limits by up to
2,000 pounds; under federal law, the state must already provide this exemption when these
vehicles are on the interstates and certain roads near them
§ 42 — PICK-UP TRUCK PASSENGER REGISTRATION
Makes pick-up trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,501 to 8,550 pounds eligible for a
passenger registration if they are not used commercially (currently, they must be registered as
combination vehicles); potentially allows them to access roads or other places that limit access by
commercial traffic (e.g., state parkways)
§§ 43-45 — ACCESSIBLE PARKING
Modifies the conditions under which a health care professional may certify an applicant for an
accessible parking windshield placard; prohibits health care professionals from making fees they
charge to applicants seeking certification contingent on whether or not they certify the applicants’
eligibility; eliminates the requirement that the Transportation Committee House chairperson’s
appointment to the Accessible Parking Advisory Council be a municipal planner
SUMMARY: This act makes changes in laws affecting the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV), DMV-licensed businesses, vehicle registration and operation,
vehicle weight limits, school buses, towing, and accessible parking. It also makes
technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted below.
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§§ 1-3 — ELECTRONIC ISSUANCE LICENSES
Requires registration and title companies that file applications electronically to get an electronic
issuance license from DMV and establishes a licensing process and licensee operating
requirements; lowers the threshold at which these companies may be required to file
electronically; increases the total amount of surety bonds these companies must provide
The act modifies the regulatory treatment of people and entities that are engaged
in the business of electronically filing, on behalf of their customers, registration or
title applications with DMV (i.e., registration and title companies).
Prior law and department regulations authorized the DMV commissioner to
permit or require a registration and title company to file these applications
electronically if, among other things, he determines that the company is qualified
based on the conditions set in statute and department regulations.
The act replaces this authorization with a statutory licensing structure for
registration and title companies. The act prohibits registration and title companies
from filing registration and title applications electronically without an “electronic
issuance license.” But it allows currently authorized registration and title
companies to continue filing applications electronically until January 1, 2025. After
this date, these companies are no longer allowed to use the electronic system
without an electronic issuance license.
The act specifically excludes the following entities from the electronic issuance
license requirement: licensed motor vehicle dealers, licensed leasing or rental
companies, and DMV contractors.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, except for the provision allowing currently
authorized companies to operate until January 1, 2025, which takes effect upon
passage.
Threshold for Filing Electronically
The act lowers the threshold at which a registration and title company may be
required to file applications online. Prior law allowed the DMV commissioner to
require a registration and title company to file applications electronically if he
determines that the company files an average of seven or more applications per
month. The act lowers this threshold to five. It also specifies that companies DMV
requires to file electronically must apply for an electronic issuance license.
Under the act, as under existing law, any company that fails or refuses to file
applications electronically upon the commissioner’s request must pay a $25 fee for
each application it submits.
License Application and Renewal Process
The act requires electronic issuance license applicants to submit an application
with the information DMV requires and pay a $250 license fee. Applicants for an
initial license or a renewal must be fingerprinted and undergo a state and national
criminal records check. If the applicant is a firm or corporation, each officer or
major stockholder must be fingerprinted and undergo the check. In addition to the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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required background check, licensees must also fully disclose any civil judgment
or conviction described above under penalty of false statement.
Under the act, the DMV commissioner may issue or renew a license only if he
determines the (1) issuance or renewal to the applicant is likely to improve access
to DMV services or manage the number of transactions done in person at DMV
without compromising the integrity and security of the department’s electronic
system and (2) applicant is capable of ensuring control of and proper use of license
plates and other materials the department provides for registration and title
transactions. The DMV commissioner may refuse to grant or renew a license for
any reason he reasonably deems necessary. It specifically authorizes him to refuse
a license if the applicant or holder (or officer or major stockholder) has been found
liable in a civil action or convicted of a violation of laws (1) related to the business
of filing registration or title applications or (2) involving fraud, larceny, stalking,
embezzlement, bribery, or deprivation or misappropriation of property.
Before refusing to grant or renew a license for any of the above reasons, DMV
must notify the applicant or licensee and give them an opportunity for a hearing.
Under prior law, DMV could remove a company’s authorization for the electronic
system under generally the same circumstances but was not required to provide
opportunity for a hearing (Conn. Agencies Regs., § 14-15d-4).
Under the act, licenses are generally renewed biennially, but DMV must adopt
an initial renewal schedule so that license renewals happen on a staggered basis. If
the schedule causes a license to expire more or less than two years from its initial
issuance, DMV may charge a prorated license fee.
At least 45 days before a company’s license expires, DMV must send the
company a renewal application in the way the commissioner determines. Licensees
who do not file the renewal application with the $250 license fee before their license
expires are prohibited from using DMV’s electronic system. Applications filed
after the license expires are subject to a $100 late fee. DMV may not renew an
electronic issuance license that has been expired more than 45 days.
Surety Bonds
Prior law required registration and title companies that are authorized to file
applications electronically to provide surety bonds. The act retains this requirement
for licensees and increases, from $25,000 to $45,000, the total amount of surety
bonds they must provide.
Registration and title companies authorized under prior law had to provide
surety bonds in the following amounts: (1) $20,000 as security for monetary loss
that DMV suffers as a result of the licensee’s loss, destruction, or misuse of the
license plates the department assigned the licensee and (2) $5,000 as security for
monetary loss DMV suffers because the licensee failed to remit registration and
title fees (Conn. Agencies Regs., § 14-15d-3(b) & (c)).
The act codifies these bond requirements and, in addition to the bonds described
above, requires licensees to furnish another $20,000 bond conditioned on the
licensee complying with applicable state and federal laws and regulations and
provided as indemnity for any losses a customer sustains because the licensee did O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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not comply with these laws or regulations. This bond must be executed in the name
of the state for the benefit of any aggrieved customer, but the penalty of the bond
may only be imposed on the DMV commissioner’s order after a hearing.
The act requires DMV to assess a $200 administrative fee against any electronic
issuance licensee that fails to show proof of bond renewal or replacement before an
existing bond expires.
License Plate Inventory
Under the act, as under prior law, DMV must issue to each licensee an inventory
of license plates and other materials related to registration and title transactions.
The company is responsible for all the license plates DMV assigns to it. The act
specifies that licensees may use the plates and materials only for registration and
title transactions.
The act specifically requires electronic issuance licensees who stop doing
business to return license plates, title and registration materials, and any
applications that it did not act on or complete. The licensee must do so within five
business days of the license becoming invalid or the business terminating.
Violations are infractions.
Submission of Applications to DMV
As under existing law for registration and title companies, electronic issuance
licensees must submit registration and title applications, along with necessary
documents, within 10 days after electronically issuing a registration or title. The act
specifies that if the licensee fails to provide DMV with the necessary documents,
the department may not process the received documents and must inform the
licensee that it failed to submit a completed application.
Consumer Protections and Required Disclosures
The act establishes various consumer protections for customers of electronic
issuance licensees. It caps the fee that licensees may charge their customers at $25
for each registration or title application.
Under the act, a licensee may not (1) include the words “Department of Motor
Vehicles” or “DMV” or another indication of the department in their business name
or (2) act in any way that misleads customers to believe that the licensee represents
or otherwise is affiliated with the department.
The act also requires electronic issuance licensees to give customers a
disclosure form as the commissioner prescribes. The form must state (1) the fee that
the licensee charges for filing registration and title applications, (2) that the licensee
is not affiliated with the department, (3) information on how the customer may file
complaints about the licensee with DMV, and (4) any other information DMV
requires. Licensees must require customers to acknowledge the information by
signing the form.
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Penalty
The act allows DMV, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to impose a
civil penalty of up to $2,000 for violations of the electronic issuance license laws,
except for violations of the laws on (1) returning license plates and other materials,
(2) timely submitting registration and title applications, (3) disclosure forms, and
(4) the application fee cap.
§ 4 — MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSPORTER REGISTRA TION
Imposes a late fee for failing to timely renew a transporter registration and prohibits DMV from
renewing one 45 days after expiration
By law, motor vehicle transporters must annually renew their registrations by
the last day of March. The act imposes a $100 late fee for motor vehicle transporters
that fail to renew their registration before expiration. It also prohibits the
commissioner from renewing any transporter’s registration once it has been expired
for more than 45 days. After that timeframe, a person or entity would have to file
an application for a new license.
§ 5 — DEALER AND REPAIRER BACKGROUND CHE CKS
Modifies the requirements for fingerprinting and background checks for applicants for a new or
renewed motor vehicle dealer’s or repairer’s license
The act modifies the requirements for fingerprinting and background checks for
applicants for a new or renewed motor vehicle dealer’s or repairer’s license. Prior
law required applicants to be fingerprinted and undergo a state and national
criminal history records check no more than 30 days before submitting the
application and submit the results of the check to DMV. The act eliminates the
specified timeframe and no longer requires the applicant to submit the results of the
check to DMV.
§ 6 — MOTOR VEHICLE RECYCLERS SURETY BON DS
Requires motor vehicle recyclers to furnish a $25,000 surety bond
The act imposes a surety bond requirement on motor vehicle recyclers, as is the
case under existing law for other DMV-licensed businesses (e.g., dealers and
repairers). Applicants seeking a new license or renewing one must furnish a
$25,000 surety bond, conditioned on the applicant or licensee complying with any
state or federal law or regulation relating to the business of operating a motor
vehicle recycler’s yard and provided as indemnity for customers’ losses due to
licensee actions that constitute grounds for license suspension or revocation or the
licensee going out of business. This bond must be executed in the name of the state
for the benefit of any aggrieved customer, but the penalty of the bond may only be
imposed on the DMV commissioner’s order after a hearing. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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The act requires DMV to assess a $200 administrative fee against any electronic
issuance licensee that fails to show proof of bond renewal or replacement before an
existing bond expires.
§§ 7-9 — COMMERCIAL DRIVING SCHOOLS AND INSTRUCTORS
Increases the surety bond amount for driving schools to $50,000 per location, requires driving
instructors to wear ID badges while providing instruction, and makes other changes related to
driving school and instructor licensees
Surety Bond Increase
Under DMV regulations, commercial driving schools must provide a cash
deposit or surety bond to the commissioner in the amount of $15,000 per location
(i.e., place of business), up to $100,000 per driving school license (Conn. Agencies
Regs., § 14-78-22). The act instead sets the required surety bond amount for driving
schools at $50,000 per location with no cap. As under existing law, boards of
education and public, private, or parochial schools conducting a driver education
course according to state law are exempt from the surety bond requirement.
By law, these bonds are conditioned on the licensee’s faithful performance of
any contract to provide instruction and held by DMV to satisfy any execution issued
against a school for its failure to adhere to the contract.
School License Requirements and Additional Locations
The act explicitly allows a driving school licensee to operate a school at an
additional place of business, as long as they hold a license to operate at that location
and comply with the state driving school laws. (Existing law implies this
requirement by setting license fees for additional locations, and the department
requires each location to be licensed in practice.)
Instructor ID Badges and Background Checks
The act requires licensed driving instructors or master instructors to wear an ID
badge at all times when providing classroom or behind-the-wheel instruction. The
employing driving school must issue the badge, which must contain the (1)
licensee’s name, photo, and license number; (2) license expiration date; and (3)
driving school’s name.
The act also requires instructor and master instructor licensees to be
fingerprinted and undergo a state and national criminal history records check before
their license is renewed. Under current regulations, applicants for renewal only
have to undergo a state criminal records check (Conn. Agencies Regs., § 14-78-
51). Under existing regulations and the act, applicants must also undergo a state
child abuse and neglect registry check.
The act also requires renewal applicants to provide the same evidence they had
to when applying initially, such as evidence that they held a driver’s license for the
past five years, passed a physical exam, and completed the required instructor O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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training.
Schools’ Responsibility for Instructors
The act also specifies that a school employing a licensed instructor or master
instructor is responsible for ensuring that they comply with driving school and
driving instructor statutes and regulations (including that the instructor wears his or
her ID badge).
Expired Licenses
By law, DMV is prohibited from renewing a driving school license, a driving
instructor license, or a master instructor license if it has been expired for more than
60 days. The act explicitly allows the holder of one of these expired licenses to
apply for a new license.
Penalties
By law, the DMV commissioner may suspend or revoke a license or impose a
civil penalty (up to $1,000 per violation) on any person or business that violates the
driving school or instructor laws after notice and an opportunity for a hearing. The
act explicitly allows him to impose these penalties for violations of the associated
regulations.
The act also expands the commissioner’s authority to require that restitution be
made to a customer. Under existing law, he could require a licensee to do so; under
the act, he may also require this of unlicensed people or firms.
§ 10 — ALTERED, COMPOSITE, GREY-MARKET, AND SAL VAGE
VEHICLES
Requires that salvage vehicles be inspected by DMV-authorized repairers rather than DMV and
defines the different categories of altered vehicles that must be inspected before titling and
registering them
Prior law established inspection requirements for vehicles that were (1)
reconstructed (i.e., materially altered from the original by removing, adding, or
substituting essential parts); (2) composed from several parts of other vehicles; (3)
altered enough that the vehicle no longer bears the characteristics of a specific make
of motor vehicle; or (4) declared a total loss by an insurance carrier and
subsequently reconstructed.
The act instead breaks these vehicles out into four defined categories and
indicates the inspection requirements for each. Principally, it changes who must
inspect vehicles reconstructed after being declared a total loss by an insurer.
Categories
The act defines four types of vehicles: altered vehicles, composite vehicles, O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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grey-market vehicles, and salvage vehicles.
An “altered vehicle” is one that has been materially modified from its original
construction by removing, adding, or substituting essential parts with new or used
parts.
A “composite vehicle” is one that (1) is composed or assembled from several
parts of other vehicles; (2) is assembled from a motor vehicle kit; or (3) has been
altered, assembled, or modified from the original manufacturer’s specifications.
A “grey-market vehicle” is one that is manufactured for use outside of the
United States, imported into it, and not certified to meet federal safety or emissions
standards at the time the vehicle was manufactured.
A “salvage vehicle” is one that was declared a total loss by an insurance carrier
and subsequently reconstructed.
Inspection Requirements
Existing law requires the vehicles generally falling under these four defined
categories to be inspected to determine whether they are properly equipped and in
good mechanical condition before they can be titled and registered. Under prior
law, DMV had to conduct all of the inspections. The act instead requires that
inspections of (1) altered, composite, and grey-market vehicles be performed at
DMV (at an office the commissioner designates) and (2) salvage vehicles be
performed by DMV-authorized licensed dealers or repairers.
The act also eliminates a prior requirement that DMV determine whether
vehicles presented for inspection were in the possession of their lawful owner. But
it retains a provision authorizing the commissioner to require someone presenting
an altered, composite, grey-market, or salvage vehicle for inspection to show proof
of lawful purchase of any major component parts that were not part of the vehicle
when sold by the manufacturer.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024
§§ 11-32 & 39 — MINOR AND TECHNICAL CHANGES
Makes numerous minor and technical changes, principally to change references to “commercial
driver’s instruction permit” to “commercial learner’s permit,” conforming to the term used in
federal law
The act makes numerous minor and technical changes. It updates school bus
terms to eliminate references to Type I and Type II school buses and instead refer
to them by gross vehicle weight rating. It also updates an obsolete reference to the
former Department of Public Safety.
Additionally, the act changes references to “commercial driver’s instruction
permit” to “commercial learner’s permit,” conforming to the term used in federal
law. It specifies that commercial driver’s instruction permits DMV issued before
October 1, 2024, are valid until they expire.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, except for the provisions updating school
bus terms and replacing an obsolete reference, which take effect July 1, 2024.
§§ 33-36 — LOW-SPEED VEHICLES
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Generally allows the operation of “low-speed vehicles” on roads with speed limits up to 25 mph
and makes them “motor vehicles” under state motor vehicle laws (i.e., Title 14), generally
subjecting them to the same requirements as other vehicles under these laws
This act generally allows the operation of “low-speed vehicles” (LSVs) on
highways (i.e., public roads) in the state with speed limits of 25 mph or less. Under
the act and federal regulations, an LSV is a four-wheeled motor vehicle that has a
(1) speed attainable in one mile of more than 20 mph but not more than 25 mph on
a paved, level surface and (2) gross vehicle weight rating less than 3,000 pounds.
Under the act, LSVs are “motor vehicles” under state motor vehicle laws (i.e.,
Title 14 of the General Statutes). This means, among other things, that LSVs must
be registered, titled, and insured; their drivers must hold a valid driver’s license;
and businesses selling or repairing them must hold dealer or repairer licenses,
respectively. Previously, DMV did not register LSVs, and they could not be driven
on public roads. The act prohibits DMV from issuing a title for a homemade LSV
or a golf cart that has been retrofitted from the original manufacturer’s
specifications in an attempt to qualify as an LSV.
The act allows the Office of the State Traffic Administration and local traffic
authorities to prohibit or limit LSV use on roads under their jurisdictions. It also
requires that LSVs meet state motor vehicle equipment standards, except for those
that are inapplicable to, or inconsistent with, the federal motor vehicle safety
standards for LSVs (see Background — Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
for LSVs). Violations of the road restrictions or equipment requirements are
infractions (see Table on Penalties).
Lastly, the act makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024
Background — Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for LSVs
Under federal regulations, LSVs must satisfy certain requirements under
specified testing conditions and be equipped with the following:
1. headlights, turn signals, tail lights, and brake lights;
2. reflex reflectors;
3. an exterior mirror on the driver’s side and either an exterior mirror on the
passenger’s side or an interior mirror (in addition to meeting other specified
rear visibility requirements);
4. a parking brake;
5. a windshield meeting federal standards on glazing materials;
6. a vehicle identification number (VIN) meeting federal requirements;
7. a seatbelt assembly meeting federal requirements; and
8. a pedestrian alert sound (49 C.F.R. § 571.500).
§ 37 — TOWING OCCUPIED VEHICLES
Prohibits a licensed wrecker from knowingly allowing any person to occupy a vehicle while it is
being towed
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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The act prohibits a licensed wrecker from knowingly allowing any person to
occupy a vehicle while it is being towed. As is the case under existing law for other
provisions related to wreckers’ towing and transporting of motor vehicles, a
violation of this provision is (1) an infraction for a first offense and (2) a class D
misdemeanor for subsequent offenses (see Table on Penalties).
§ 38 — SCHOOL BUS IDLING
Requires the DMV commissioner, by September 1, 2024, to review, and amend or revise if needed,
any regulations or policies on inspecting school buses to ensure they promote adherence to anti-
idling laws
The act requires the DMV commissioner, by September 1, 2024, to review, and
amend or revise if needed, any regulation, internal procedure or policy, or other
guidance DMV provides to school bus owners and operators on operating and
inspecting school buses. Specifically, he must do so to ensure that these regulations
and policies (1) promote adherence to the state’s anti-idling law for school buses
and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) air quality
regulations related to idling and (2) do not explicitly or implicitly require a school
bus to idle for more than three minutes during its daily vehicle inspection. (The
anti-idling law generally prohibits school bus operators from idling their buses for
more than three consecutive minutes and DEEP regulations similarly prohibit this
for all vehicles; however, both allow certain exceptions.)
The act additionally requires the commissioner, by September 1, 2024, to (1)
give guidance to school bus owners and operators on which aspects of a daily
vehicle inspection can be done with the engine off and (2) post the guidance on
DMV’s website.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 40 — SCHOOL BUS SEAT BELTS
Reestablishes and makes permanent a DMV school bus seat belt pilot program to provide 50%
sales tax refunds for purchases of buses equipped with three-point seat belts
Starting October 1, 2025, the act reestablishes and makes permanent a DMV
school bus seat belt pilot program that ended on December 31, 2017. The program
helps pay for school buses with three-point lap and shoulder seat belts by refunding
school bus companies (i.e., “private carriers”) half the sales tax they pay for buses
on which these seat belts were installed during manufacture. Program funding
comes from the existing school bus seat belt account, which is a non-lapsing
General Fund account funded by a portion ($50) of each DMV fee collected for
restoring suspended licenses and registrations (CGS § 14-50b).
The act allows (1) school districts to apply to DMV, on a form the department
provides, beginning October 1, 2025, and (2) bus companies to receive sales tax
reimbursements from DMV for buses they purchase on or after this date, depending
on the department’s approval of the application and funding availability from the
account. Under the act, the restarted program is generally unchanged, except for a O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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new requirement that DMV, in collaboration with the Department of Education,
annually inform school districts about the program and how to apply.
The act also (1) requires the Transportation and Education committees to hold
a joint public hearing on program participation and effectiveness during the 2030
legislative session (a public hearing was similarly required for the pilot program)
and (2) eliminates an obsolete provision requiring these committees to recommend
whether to continue the program.
Lastly, the act makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2025
School Bus Seat Belt Program and Account
The school bus seat belt pilot program was active from July 1, 2011, to
December 31, 2017. Under the program, school districts’ applications to DMV
must include a proposed agreement between the district and the school bus
company contracted to transport the district’s students. The agreement must (1)
require that the company provide the school district with between 1 and 50 school
buses, each equipped with three-point lap and shoulder seat belts, and (2) include a
request by the company for funding.
Participating school districts must (1) give the parents or legal guardians of each
student who uses a school bus written notice about the availability and proper use
of the seat belts and (2) teach students how to properly use the seat belts, including
fastening and unfastening them. The participating school districts, school bus
companies, and school bus operators are exempt from liability for injuries caused
solely by a student’s use, misuse, or failure to use a seat belt installed under the
program.
The program is funded by the school bus seat belt account, which has remained
funded since its creation in 2010, even after the pilot program ended in 2017. The
legislature transferred school bus seat belt account funds to the General Fund in
several budget and deficit mitigation acts between 2012 and 2017.
§ 41 — WEIGHT TOLERA NCE EXEMPTION FOR EL ECTRIC
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Grants a weight tolerance exemption to primarily electric commercial motor vehicles driving on
any road in the state, allowing them to exceed the state’s various vehicle weight limits by up to
2,000 pounds; under federal law, the state must already provide this exemption when these
vehicles are on the interstates and certain roads near them
The act grants a weight tolerance exemption to primarily electric commercial
motor vehicles traveling on any road in the state, allowing them to exceed the state’s
various vehicle weight limits by up to 2,000 pounds. Among other things, this
increases the general maximum gross weight for these electric commercial vehicles
from 80,000 pounds to 82,000 pounds. This exemption already applies to these
vehicles when traveling on interstate highways and certain roads near them (see
Background — Federal Weight Exemption for Electric Commercial Vehicles).
The act specifically requires officials and law enforcement officers who are O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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authorized to enforce the state’s vehicle weight limit restrictions to grant this
exemption to any commercial motor vehicle powered primarily by electric battery.
The exemption applies to the gross, total axle, total tandem, and bridge formula
weight limits. Under existing law, the maximum gross vehicle weight allowed on
Connecticut roads without an overweight permit is generally 80,000 pounds
(subject to the requirements of the federal bridge formula weight limit). So, the act
increases the maximum gross weight for electric commercial vehicles to 82,000
pounds.
The act’s exemption mirrors a federal exemption that the state must already
comply with for vehicles on interstate highways. (Electric-powered units (i.e., truck
tractors) on commercial vehicles are heavier than diesel-powered units because of
the battery weight. Subject to the same weight limits, electric-powered tractor-
trailers cannot carry as much cargo as diesel-powered ones.)
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024
Background — Gross Vehicle Weight and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
By law, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the manufacturer-specified
maximum loaded weight of a single or combination (articulated) vehicle. The
GVWR of a combination vehicle is the GVWR of the power unit plus the GVWR
of the towed units. “Gross weight” is a vehicle’s light weight (unloaded weight)
plus the weight of its load. For tractor-trailers, gross weight is the light weight of
the tractor and the trailer plus the weight of its load (CGS § 14-1(41) & (42)).
Background — Federal Weight Exemption for Electric Commercial Vehicles
Federal law allows vehicles powered primarily by electric battery to exceed the
weight limit on the power unit by up to 2,000 pounds, up to a maximum gross
vehicle weight of 82,000 pounds (23 U.S.C. § 127(s)). Federal Highway
Administration guidance specifies that, in addition to the gross weight limit, these
vehicles may also exceed the limits on the power unit for the single axle, tandem
axle, and federal bridge formula maximum weights, as long as the total gross
vehicle weight is not over 82,000 pounds. The guidance further confirms that states
must allow this additional weight for electric-powered vehicles on the interstates
and on roads that provide reasonable access from the interstates to food, fuel,
repairs, and rest.
§ 42 — PICK-UP TRUCK PASSENGER REGISTRATION
Makes pick-up trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,501 to 8,550 pounds eligible for a
passenger registration if they are not used commercially (currently, they must be registered as
combination vehicles); potentially allows them to access roads or other places that limit access by
commercial traffic (e.g., state parkways)
The act makes pick-up trucks with a GVWR of 8,501 to 8,550 pounds eligible
for a passenger registration if they are not used commercially (see § 41 Background
— Gross Vehicle Weight and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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By law, pick-up trucks with a GVWR of 12,500 pounds or less that are not used
for commercial purposes must be registered as combination vehicles, unless they
fall at or under the GVWR threshold for pick-up truck passenger registration. (A
combination registration is the type issued to vehicles used for both private
passenger and commercial purposes.) The act increases this threshold by 50 pounds,
from 8,500 to 8,550 pounds. It also requires, rather than allows, the DMV
commissioner to issue a passenger registration to qualifying pick-up trucks. As
under existing law, pick-up trucks pay the weight-based fee that applies to
commercial vehicles, regardless of whether they are registered as passenger,
combination, or commercial vehicles.
By requiring noncommercial pick-up trucks with a GVWR of 8,501 to 8,550
pounds to be registered as passenger vehicles, the act potentially allows them to
access roads or other places that limit access by commercial traffic. For example,
vehicles with passenger registrations are generally permitted on state parkways
(i.e., the Merritt, Wilbur Cross, and Milford parkways), but state regulations
prohibit vehicles with combination registrations and a gross weight above 7,500
pounds from using these parkways (Conn. Agencies Regs., § 14-298-249(f)). Under
the act, these pick-up trucks may use the parkways regardless of the vehicle’s gross
weight because they have passenger registrations.
Lastly, the act also makes technical and conforming changes.
§§ 43-45 — ACCESSIBLE PARKING
Modifies the conditions under which a health care professional may certify an applicant for an
accessible parking windshield placard; prohibits health care professionals from making fees they
charge to applicants seeking certification contingent on whether or not they certify the applicants’
eligibility; eliminates the requirement that the Transportation Committee House chairperson’s
appointment to the Accessible Parking Advisory Council be a municipal planner
The act makes changes to laws related to health care professionals’ certification
of eligibility for a DMV-issued accessible parking removable windshield placard.
By law, applicants for windshield placards must submit certification from specified
health care professionals (or certain government officials), signed under penalty of
false statement, stating that the applicant (1) has a disability that limits or impairs
the ability to walk, as defined under federal regulations; (2) is a veteran, as defined
by state law, who has a certified, service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder
and meets the federal disability definition; or (3) is legally blind.
The act requires health care professionals who certify placard applicants’
eligibility to do so based on their professional opinion after completing a medically
reasonable assessment of the applicant’s medical history and current medical
condition made in the course of a bona fide health care professional-patient
relationship. It also prohibits these health care professionals from making fees they
charge to placard applicants contingent on certifying that the applicant has an
eligible disability and imposes a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for violations.
Under the act, a “health care professional” is a licensed physician, physician
assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse; a psychiatrist employed by, or
under contract with, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; or an O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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ophthalmologist or optometrist. This definition corresponds to the health care
professionals already authorized to certify placard eligibility under existing law.
Separately, the act also eliminates the requirement that the Transportation
Committee House chairperson’s appointment to the Accessible Parking Advisory
Council be a municipal planner.
Lastly, the act makes technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, except the advisory council provision is
effective upon passage.
Penalty for Contingent Fees and Agreements
In addition to prohibiting health care professionals from charging certain
contingent fees to placard applicants (see above), the act also prohibits them from
entering into a written or oral agreement or understanding with a person using their
services that actually or effectively makes the professional’s commissions, fees, or
charges contingent on certifying that the applicant has an eligible disability.
Under the act, violators of these provisions may face a civil penalty of up to
$1,000, and the attorney general, after receiving a complaint from the DMV
commissioner, must institute a civil action to recover the penalty in the Superior
Court for the Hartford judicial district.