HCS HB 1623 -- DIVISION OF MOTOR CARRIER AND RAILROAD SAFETY

SPONSOR:  Koller

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Transportation by a vote of 24 to 0.

This substitute revises statutory sections under the Division of
Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety to conform to changes in the
authority of the division which occurred in 1996 legislation.

The division will be responsible for safety oversight of any
light rail within the state and also outside of the state if
provided by contract and authorized by law, rule, order, or
consent of other agencies or officials of any contiguous state
having jurisdiction over light rail.

All federal regulations applying to motor carriers, motor
vehicles, or drivers operating in intrastate or interstate
commerce within the state will be enforced by the Missouri
Division of Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety.

The substitute allows the division by rule to provide for the
electronic filing of certificates of insurance by insurance
companies.  The motor carrier annual license renewal date is
changed from the end of February to December 31st.  Anyone
failing to comply with the renewal provision will be guilty of a
class C misdemeanor (currently a misdemeanor).  Charter buses
will conform to the same provisions required for property
carriers when applying for a certificate for operation.

The substitute also contains language dealing with the time for
bringing of a suit, use of credit cards for payment of charges
or fees, the release of information relating to the safety of a
carrier, and flagman warning or track-out-of-service signs at
rail crossings.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not available at time of printing.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say the bill contains clean-up language
needed due to changes several years ago.  This also gives the
division the ability to better serve Missouri's customers in an
efficient and timely manner and allows the division to move
toward a paperless system.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Koller; Division of
Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety; United Transportation Union;
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; and Missouri Motor Carriers
Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Robert Triplett, Legislative Analyst

HB 1623 -- Division of Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety

Sponsor:  Koller

This bill revises statutory sections under the Division of Motor
Carrier and Railroad Safety to conform them to changes in the
authority of the division which occurred in 1996 legislation.

The bill also allows the division by rule to provide for the
electronic filing by insurance companies of certificates of
insurance.  The motor carrier annual license renewal date is
changed from the end of February to December 31st.  Anyone
failing to comply with the renewal provision will be guilty of a
class C misdemeanor (currently a misdemeanor).

Charter buses will conform to the same provisions required for
property carriers when applying for a certificate for
operation.  The bill also contains language dealing with the
time for bringing of a suit, use of credit cards for payment of
charges or fees, the release of information relating to the
safety of a carrier, and warning flagman or track-out-of-service
signs at rail crossings.