Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 26, 2020 06:09 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Civil Penalty Instead of License Suspension for Driving Without Insurance |
| Today, vehicle owners in Pennsylvania are required to have and maintain auto insurance with penalties including a three-month registration suspension and, if the vehicle was operated without insurance, a three-month license suspension. However, it is not uncommon for lapses in auto insurance to occur for accidental reasons such as application errors, processing errors, notification errors, or just honest mistakes. Current law takes this into account by allowing owners to pay a $500 civil penalty instead of serving the three-month registration suspension if the owner can show proof of current insurance. Unfortunately, if the vehicle was operated without insurance, there is no similar option to pay a civil penalty instead of serving the three-month license suspension. My bill will fix this problem by allowing owners to pay a $500 civil penalty in lieu of the three-month license suspension if they can show proof of current insurance. To prevent abuse by repeat offenders, my bill will only allow owners to exercise this option once every five years. This change will ensure that accidental lapses in auto insurance do not have to hinder a person’s ability to travel and earn a living. This would also help commercial drivers who can currently face the three-month license suspension, even if the lapse in auto insurance only occurred on their personal vehicle. Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation to help vehicle owners. |
Introduced as HB2478