Committee reports SB 1 and SB 464 to full Senate with recommendations to pass

The Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved committee substitutes for two bills and reported both to the full Senate with recommendations that they do pass.

SB 1: The committee substitute for Senate Bill 1 requires utilities and the Division of Highways to coordinate timing of utility work and paving activity where utilities are in the state’s right-of-way. The substitute removes the Public Service Commission from the bill’s approval pathway and requires utilities to repair roads “without unreasonable delay” to a condition as good or better than before utility work. The division would post upcoming paving projects and utility reports on its website. Committee counsel noted two fiscal notes associated with the bill and the substitute was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass; the chair said it will be referred next to the committee on government organization.

SB 464: The committee substitute for Senate Bill 464 (described at the hearing as creating an honorary license plate for recipients of the distinguished Medal of Valor and their immediate family) was approved. Under the substitute the Division of Motor Vehicles would issue special plates to recipients of the distinguished medal of valor and surviving spouses may continue to use a deceased spouse’s plate; applicants may obtain a second plate for a vehicle in their name. The DMV would charge a one-time special fee of $10 per plate in addition to other fees; the DMV fiscal note on file lists the impact as minimal. The committee reported the substitute to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and first be referred to the committee on finance.

Both substitutes were adopted by voice vote and the chair declared the ayes had it. The committee record shows no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript for either item.