Pennsylvania Act 2004-229 — VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - PERIOD OF REGISTRATION, COMMERCIAL DRIVER RECORDS, EXEMPTION FROM OTHER FEES AND PROHIBITION ON EXPENDITURES FOR EMISSION INSPECTION PROGRAM

Act text

VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - PERIOD OF REGISTRATION, COMMERCIAL DRIVER
  RECORDS, EXEMPTION FROM OTHER FEES AND PROHIBITION ON EXPENDITURES FOR
                       EMISSION INSPECTION PROGRAM
                 Act of Dec. 1, 2004, P.L. 1771, No. 229              Cl. 75
                             Session of 2004
                               No. 2004-229

     HB 2666

                                  AN ACT

     Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
        Statutes, further providing for period of registration;
        providing for commercial driver records; and further
        providing for exemption from other fees and for the
        prohibition on expenditures for emission inspection program.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  Section 1307(a) of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
     Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
      § 1307.  Period of registration.
        (a)  Staggered renewal system to be established.--The
     department shall establish a system of staggered registration
     renewal in a manner that an approximately equal number of
     registrations will expire every month throughout the year. [This
     system shall be coordinated with the periodic inspection of all
     vehicles which are subject to annual inspection except those
     vehicles bearing dealer registration plates.] In order to
     implement and maintain the staggered registration system, the
     department may prorate annual registration fees over
     registration periods of from 6 to 18 months.
        * * *
        Section 2.  Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
      § 1620.  Commercial driver records.
        The department shall establish a program for unlimited annual
     electronic driver record checks for employers of commercial
     drivers. The program shall include the registration of the
     employer with the department, including an estimate of the
     number of drivers employed and an annual fee which shall be
     based on $5 per estimated driver. The department shall provide
     the registered employer with unlimited electronic access to
     uncertified driver records. The department is authorized to
     periodically audit the registered employer to determine that
     fees are approximately in line with the number of employees'
     records being accessed. If the department determines that the
     employer misrepresented the number of drivers whose records
     would be accessed or that the record of a driver other than a
     commercial driver employee or prospective commercial driver
     employee was accessed, the department shall take appropriate
     action.
        Section 3.  Section 1902 of Title 75 is amended by adding a
     paragraph to read:
      § 1902.  Exemptions from other fees.
        No fee shall be charged under this title for or to any of the
     following:
            * * *
            (9)  A driver record of a school bus driver obtained
        electronically from the department by the employer of the
        school bus driver or any Federal or state transportation
        association of school bus operators on behalf of the employer
        where the employer or the association has paid an annual
        record access fee established by the department. The
        department shall publish notice of the annual fee in the
        Pennsylvania Bulletin.
        Section 4.  Section 4706(d) of Title 75 is amended to read:
      § 4706.  Prohibition on expenditures for emission inspection
                program.
        * * *
        [(d)  Coordination with vehicle registration.--Whenever a
     system for the periodic inspection of emissions or emission
     systems is established as authorized in subsections (b) and
     (b.1), such inspection of emissions or emission systems shall be
     coordinated with the vehicle registration period.]
        * * *
        Section 5.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

     APPROVED--The 1st day of December, A. D. 2004.

     EDWARD G. RENDELL