Arizona committee advances bill extending VLT/registration exemption to service members within 30 days of deployment

House Bill 2009, which would expand vehicle license tax and registration fee exemptions for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, was advanced out of the Arizona House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on a due-pass recommendation Thursday.

The measure would extend the exemption to service members who have valid orders and are within 30 days of deployment, rather than only those currently deployed. The bill also would permit a refund of registration fees and vehicle license tax for a member on active duty instead of a credit applied to the next registration period.

Kylie (staff member) told the committee the bill "expands the vehicle license tax or VLT and registration fee exemption for members of the United States Armed Forces to include members who have valid orders and are within 30 days of deployment instead of only members who are currently deployed." She also explained an amendment offered by Representative Contreras.

Representative Benjamin Carter (state representative), the bill sponsor, said the change "is just to give the opportunity, for armed forces if they're deployed within 30 days, of their vehicle fees just to give them a hand up in, being deployed" and that it "does encompass all of our own forces" including Arizona National Guard members. Carter said the change would assist families and spouses preparing for deployment.

Two veterans who testified in support — Ken Berger and Matt Greer — described logistical barriers that can prevent service members from completing fee or refund paperwork in short timeframes before deployment. Berger said the extra 30 days "really, really lightens the burden on troops getting ready to go overseas." Greer said some deployed service members lack internet access and "the way it stands currently, it's impossible for some veterans to actually take advantage of this."

Representative Contreras offered an amendment to add a statutory definition of "deployment" that would limit the term to an assignment "to an operational area outside the territorial boundaries of the United States and its territories to participate in an overseas mission, operation, or contingency as authorized by federal orders." Representative Carter and others questioned that definition because it would exclude some service assignments within U.S. territories or to the border. The committee voted on the Contreras amendment; the amendment did not pass (record in transcript: "Appears the nays have it").

After amendment debate, the committee moved the underlying bill. The committee secretary conducted a roll call and the committee gave House Bill 2009 a due-pass recommendation. The transcript records the clerk stating the result as "with a vote of 6 eyes and 0 nays. And 0 absent." The committee did not specify a legislative effective date during the session summary recorded in the transcript.

Given the committee action, the bill will proceed to the next stage in the legislative process; committee members asked no additional conditions or amendments be added on the floor as recorded in the committee minutes.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 2009 — motion to return with a due-pass recommendation (moved by a committee member); final recorded tally in the committee: 6 ayes, 0 nays; amendment by Representative Contreras to define "deployment" was rejected (transcript: "nays have it").