Colorado Legislative and Related Legal Issues

2008 General Assembly Bills of Interest:

The General Assembly will convene on January 9, 2008 and is mandated by law to close no
later than May 7, 2008.

Use this link to the Colorado General Assembly home page
www.leg.state.co.us/  where you
can find current information on all House and Senate bills, contact your representative and
access the Colorado Revised Statutes
.

HB 08-1009  Concerning Emergency Medical Care Coverage In Connection With An Automobile Insurance
Policy Issued In Colorado.
Sponsors: (house) Massey, Casso & Green (senate) Boyd & Shaffer. Committees:
House Business Affairs and Labor.  This bill would require all auto insurance policies issued in CO (after Jan
1, 2009) to provide emergency medical care coverage of at least $15,000.

HB 08-1010  CONCERNING THE FINES IMPOSED FOR VIOLATIONS  INVOLVING MOTOR VEHICLES.
Sponsors: (house) McFadyen, and Merrifield (senate) Takis. Committees: house Transportation & Energy.
This bill raises the fines on just about everything.  

HB 08-1045  Concerning Limitations On Special License Plates That Evidence The Registration Of Motor
Vehicles.
Sponsors: (house) Rice (senate) Hagedorn. Committees: House Transportation & Energy. This bill
will retire special license plates unless they have been issued to at least 3,000 vehicles by  Jan 1, 2009. It
would repeal the issuance of personalized horseless carriage plates and authorize personalized collector
plates.  

HB 08-1069  CONCERNING A PROHIBITION AGAINST OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE ON PUBLIC LAND
UNLESS THE PUBLIC LAND IS AUTHORIZED FOR SUCH USE BY THE CONTROLLING LAND
MANAGEMENT AGENCY, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, AUTHORIZING PEACE OFFICERS TO
ENFORCE THE PROHIBITION. Sponsors: (house) Curry (senate) Tochtrop. Committees: house Agriculture,
Livestock, & Natural Resources.  This bill sets fines and allows all peace officers to enforce the above.

HB 08-1136  CONCERNING VERIFICATION THAT A MOTOR VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN STOLEN BY USING
THE COLORADO MOTOR VEHICLE VERIFICATION SYSTEM. Sponsors: (house) Summers, Gardner B., and
Looper (senate) Boyd. Committees: house Transportation & Energy.  When a person applies to register or
title a motor vehicle, requires the department of revenue to verify the vehicle has not been stolen by using the
motor vehicle verification system instead of an affidavit filed by the owner of the stolen vehicle.

HB 08-1209  CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS THAT ASSIST A PEACE OFFICER IN DETERMINING
WHETHER A LICENSE PLATE ACTUALLY EVIDENCES THAT THE MOTOR VEHICLE TO WHICH THE PLATE
IS ATTACHED HAS BEEN REGISTERED. Sponsors: (house) Vaad (senate)    Committees: house
Transportation & Energy.  Requires the owner of a registered motor vehicle to place validating tabs or stickers
on the lower left and right corners of the rear license plate. Authorizes the department of revenue to
promulgate rules requiring the destruction of license plates. Requires the department, an authorized agent,
and a person who receives license plates in the course of business to destroy the plate in accordance with
such rules.

SB 08-011 Concerning Funding for the Provision of Uncompensated Trauma Care to Persons Injured in Motor
Vehicle Accidents in Colorado, and, in Connection Therewith, Establishing an Emergency Responders and
Trauma Care Reimbursement Program, Increasing the Fee for Registering a Motor Vehicle to Fund the
Program, and Requiring Automobile Insurance Policies Issued in the State to Contain Emergency Medical
Care Coverage.
Sponsors: (senate) Morse and Boyd (house) Massey and Green. Committees: Senate Health
and Human Services. This bill would increase registrations fees by $16 and require all auto insurance
policies issued in CO after July 1, 2008 to provide emergency medical care coverage of at least $15,000.

SB 08-143  CONCERNING THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR THE USE OF SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.
Sponsors: (senate) Tupa (house)  Committees: senate Transportation.  Replaces the $25 one-time fee and
the $25 surcharge for issuance of special license plates with an annual fee of the same amount. Credits
the additional fees to the highway users tax fund after providing for a reserve in the licensing services cash
fund. Requires an association that has established special license plates to collect annual dues for a
member to use the special license plates. Requires the department of revenue to verify a person's
qualifications before renewing special license plates subject to annual dues.

SB 08-144  CONCERNING THE DISPOSITION OF MOTOR VEHICLES ABANDONED AT  MOTOR VEHICLE
REPAIR SHOPS. Sponsors: (senate) Windels (house) Benefield. Committees: senate Transportation.  
Establishes a process for a motor vehicle repair shop at which a motor vehicle has been abandoned to follow
in order to obtain a certificate of title and sell the abandoned motor vehicle.
Please Support Our Sponsors
2007       Two bills passed this year that the OCCC did not sponsor but supported:  HB 1097    Year of Manufacture plates. "Authorizes a motor vehicle that is
registered as a collector's item to use original license plates if such plates are at least 30 yrs old"
. This bill brings the requirement for year of manufacturer plates in
line with the requirement for collector's plates which was set at 30 yrs old by a bill passed in the 2006 session. Sponsored by Rep Rose. Signed by the Governor.
HB 1148    Coordinated registration expiration. This bill allows a vehicle owner to
request the Dept of Revenue to set a "simultaneous expiration for registrations of
multiple vehicles under the same ownership." The bill contains a mechanism to have all of your registrations expire in the same month. However, it is not clear if
you will be able to specify what month that may be. Sponsored by Rep Rice, et al. &  Sen Williams, et al.  Signed by the Governor.

2006       The OCCC sponsored two bills that were signed by the Governor:  HB1176 Authorize Kit Motor Vehicles (Reb Ragsdale et al.) Defines a "kit vehicle" as a
passenger-type motor vehicle assembled, by other than a licensed manufacturer, from a manufactured kit that includes a prefabricated body and chassis and is
accompanied by a manufacturer's statement of origin. Specifies that the year listed on the certificate of title is the same as the year stated on the kit manufacturer's
statement of origin. Exempts kit vehicles from the motor vehicle emissions inspection program.  
HB1294   Rebuilder's Certificate of Title (Rep. Decker, et al.).
Allows the issuance of a "Rebuilder's Title" to a vehicle that is: not roadworthy, at least 25yrs old, at least a rolling chassis, and has passed a certified VIN
inspection. The applicant must provide a statement containing facts as to how ownership was acquired and provide a surity of at least twice the value of the
vehicle. A vehicle titled under this law will NOT be deemed a "salvage vehicle" or receive a "salvage" certificate of title. Both bill will take effect by Aug 2007.

2005     The Old Car Council was the chief advocate for two house bills: House Bill 1068 permits the owner of a personalized license plate to retain the plate,
with its unique configuration, even when the vehicle to which it is registered is no longer roadworthy and is undergoing restoration. An annual fee must be paid to
retain the plate. House Bill 1069 modified a bill passed the previous year which would have prevented restored fire trucks from flashing their emergency lights in
parades and other official car events held on city streets. The original bill was aimed at people who impersonate law enforcement officers to harass or pull over  
innocent citizens. The Old Car Council continued a series of meetings with the Motor Vehicle Department on titling kit cars and the titling of non-roadworthy
vehicles.

2004     The Old Car Council began a series of meetings with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles on finding a way to exempt "kit cars" from auto emissions
requirements. In the Legislature the Old Car Council was successful in amending House Bill 1386 to lower from 8 to 6 years the age of cars which can be
branded as salvage when applicable law permits.

2003     Representative Ragsdale and Senator Chlouber introduced House Bill 1287, which passed and was signed by the Governor to address the problem of
cars over 25 years of age whose title had been lost and could not be obtained when the vehicle was purchased. This lost title bill eliminated the requirement for
an appraisal and bonding of these vehicles in order to obtain a title.

2002         Worked with the Department of Motor Vehicles to find language that will be submitted to the legislature in 2003 that allows for the titling of vehicles
where the original title has been lost. Monitored all auto insurance legislation dealing with no-fault. Final bill continued no-fault insurance for one year until July 1.
2003 which means the issue of mandatory auto insurance will be addressed again in the 2003 legislature.

2001        Worked closely with the towing industry and the salvage industry to recodify the language dealing with what vehicles can be towed, and from what
location, and how the titles of abandoned vehicles are handled. HB 1261 also dealt with certificates of title issued to owners of salvaged, rebuilt or non-repairable
vehicles.

2000         OCCC was prime force for the passage of the Year of Manufacture license plate. SB 146 by Senator Musgrave had to be limited to 1943 or older vehicles
due to the fiscal impact of including more recent model years. Boyle also was successful in defeating an effort by one Senator to amend the bill to limit "horseless
carriages" from using national or state highways.

1999         Lobbied against SB 91 which would have made land use restrictions in
El Paso County that would severely impact owners of old cars and old car parts in El Paso. Worked with county commissioners to try to resolve the issue without
offending key legislators who are generally supportive of old car hobby, but who object to "visual pollution" of abandoned vehicles. Testified in favor of bill to
eliminate requirement of front license plate, but bill defeated because of opposition from law enforcement.

1998         Lobbied against SB 84 changing the law on salvage titles. Worked with law enforcement and other interest parties, but we were successful in
convincing the legislature that this bill was beyond redemption. Also involved in SB 34 on Regulations of Suspension Systems.

1997         OCCC was the prime mover behind two bills: SB 35 that required that all collector plate vehicles be 25 years old or older and SB 89 which lowered the
registration fees for old trucks with limited annual mileage to $65.

1996         Defeated SB 51 by Senator Hopper that would have forced owners of non-used vehicles to garage or shelter from view their cars of trucks. Was prime
supporter of SB 28 for the street rod clubs that allowed them made it impossible for old cars to meet emissions standards or would have required collector series
cars to submit to annual inspections.

1995         Worked on all emission bills to see that old cars retained exemptions from meeting higher standards. These were efforts to tweak the Envirotest
program and reinstitute the mom and pop emissions stations that would charge higher fees to test old cars annually.

1994        Worked to defuse any legislative mandate for a cash for clunkers bill that would destroy the reservoir of older restorable vehicles.

1993         Salvage Title issue. OCCC amended bill to remove language that would have stigmatized cars rebuilt with parts from other vehicles. Involved in all
discussions of the emissions control issues.

1992         Salvage Title issue. OCCC was successful in amending legislation to exclude vehicles more than eight years old.

1991         Collector Plate reauthorization Bill carried by Bill Owens and Norma Anderson.
Members, if you find anything that needs to be corrected contact the OCCC Webmaster
Colorado  Legislature
Old Car Council of Colorado
Serving the Hobbyist Community since 1965
History of OCCC legislative activity
Join SAN and keep up to date on
all national issues. Click below.
Discussions Have Been Taking Place
With RAQC Regarding Classic Car
Emissions and Registrations. Click
Here For Details