Legislative Session 2020
Legislative Session 2020 ended abruptly due to COVID-19. Many bills never got addressed. The bills that we worked on in 2020 are listed below:
HB 1186 Must Appear Bill: if violating the right-of-way of or causing the serious physical injury or death of a vulnerable individual as a result of the person operating a vehicle in a careless or distracted manner, the violator may be fined up to a certain dollar amount and must appear in court. This would be a modification to the previously passed ROW bill from 2008.
HB1186: Reckless and Negligent Driving – Death of Another – Must-Appear Violation: Providing that a person charged with reckless or negligent driving that contributes to an accident that results in the death of another person must appear in court and may not prepay the fine.
Sponsor & cosponsors: Delegates Szeliga, Fraser-Hidalgo, Jacobs, and Otto
Committee: Judiciary
Session concluded early due to COVID-19, this bill never got a committee vote
SB 237 Helmet Exception Bill: Providing that the prohibition against operating or riding on a motorcycle without certain protective headgear does not apply to an individual at least 21 years old who has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least 2 years, has completed a certain motorcycle safety course, or is a passenger on a motorcycle operated by a driver who has been licensed for at least 2 years or has completed a certain motorcycle safety course.
Bill number: SB0237
The hearing has been held in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
Bill Sponsors: Senators Hough, Bailey, Carozza, Carter, Cassilly, Eckardt, Edwards, Gallion, Kramer, Ready, Reilly, Salling, Serafini, Simonaire, and Smith
Committee Hearing date: February 4, 2020 at 1pm in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
Status: Defeated in committee by a 6-5 vote on February 18, 2020. A bill cosponsor flipped on us and voted unfavorable. A voting record will be published when available. We had convinced another member of the committee (Se. West) to vote favorable, giving us a majority when considering there were 5 sponsors of the bill on the committee. However, when Sen. Jill Carter-sponsor, flipped her vote, we lost 6-5.
HB 8 Grass Clippings: Expanding the Illegal Dumping and Litter Control Law to include yard waste; establishing a penalty for a violation of the Act; prohibiting a court from imposing less than the mandatory minimum fine of $50 for a violation of the Act; and requiring a court to order a person found guilty of disposing of yard waste in violation of the Act to remove or render harmless the yard waste or reimburse the State, county, municipal corporation, or bi-county unit for its costs incurred in removing the yard waste.
Del. Steve Arentz (R, District 36) has filed the bill and we are working with his office to pursue this legislation in 2020.
Bill number: HB008
A hearing was held on January 29, 2020 at 2PM in the Environment and Transportation Committee
Bill Sponsor: Del. Steve Arentz (R, District 36)
House Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill withdrawn on 2/21/2020 (Committee indicated to sponsor it would not get a favorable vote)
HB0920: Motor Vehicles – Motorcycles – Overtaking and Passing Vehicles: Requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration to adopt certain guidelines for the operation of a motorcycle on a roadway that is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic; and repealing certain provisions of law that prohibit an operator of a motorcycle on certain roadways from overtaking and passing in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken and from operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
Sponsor & cosponsors: Delegates Szeliga, Arentz, Jacobs, Johnson, and Mautz
Committee: Environment and Transportation
Bill was voted unfavorable by committee on March 6, 2020