HB2737--AUTOTHEFTPREVENTION
SPONSOR: Butz
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheSpecialCommitteeon
PublicPolicybyavoteof7to0.
Thisbillestablishesthe"AutoTheftPreventionCommission",which
isassignedtotheDepartmentofPublicSafety,thoughtheDirector
ofPublicSafetywillhavenosupervision,authority,orcontrol
overtheactionsordecisionsoftheCommission. TheCommission
willhave11members,includingtheSuperintendent oftheState
HighwayPatrolorhisorherdesignee;theAttorneyGeneralorhis
orherdesignee;andvariousmemberstobeappointedbythe
Governor,asspecifiedinthebill.Someofthedutiesofthe
Commissionincludeestablishingagrantprogramfortheprovisions
offundstolocallawenforcementagenciesandmulti-jurisdiction
taskforcesfor:preventing,reducing,andinvestigatingmotor
vehicleandmotorvehiclepartstheft;investigatingfraudrelated
tomotorvehicleinsurance,motorvehicledealerpurchases,and
motorvehiclerentaltransactions;andpurchasingequipmentand
technologyforsupportinmotorvehicle-relatedcrimeprevention,
reduction,andinvestigation. TheCommissionwillalsoprovide
supporttolocalprosecutorshandlingmotorvehicleandmotor
vehiclepartstheft.
Anygrantawardedunderthissectionwillbeuponrecommendation
fromandafterconsiderationbytheCommission. Eachgrant
applicationmustdescribethetypeofmotorvehicle-relatedcrime
prevention,reduction,investigation, enforcement,prosecution,or
offenderrehabilitation programtobeimplemented. Thetypesof
programsaredescribedinthebill.
TheCommissionmustsubmitanannualreporttheGeneralAssembly
andtheGovernorbyDecember1.
Thebillcreatesthe"AutoTheftPreventionCommissionRevolving
Fund",whichwillbeusedsolelytoimplementtheprovisions
relatedtotheCommission. Therewillbe$5addedtothefeeto
registeramotorvehicleortrailer,increasingthetotalfeeto
$13.Theadditional$5willbetransferredtotheFund.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillwillhelpaddressthe
issueofautotheft.Severalcountiesalreadyhavetheseprograms
andtheyhaveseenpositiveresults. VehicletheftintheStateis
atrecordlevels;thisbillwillprovideimportantresourcesfor
lawenforcementtopreventvehicletheft. TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Butzand
NationalInsuranceCrimeBureau.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthisbillintroduces
afee,whichinrealityisanothertaxof$5.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwasArnieC."Honest-Abe"
Dienoff-StatePublicAdvocate.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.