Senate Transportation reviews DMV "miscellaneous" bill with technical fixes, fee clarifications and administrative updates

The Senate Transportation Committee heard a section-by-section presentation Wednesday on a Department of Motor Vehicles "miscellaneous" bill that would make a range of technical corrections, expand some customer options and clarify fee exemptions.

Andrew Collier, commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, told the committee the proposal chiefly cleans up statutory language and modernizes administrative practice. "We are clarifying the term budget car to include electric vehicle and electric hybrid vehicles," Collier said, and several other changes are intended to reflect current DMV practice or to adopt national standards.

The bill covers many small, discrete changes that the DMV argued are noncontroversial but collectively affect core services. Key items discussed include switching the statutory label "driver privilege card" to "non–REAL ID"; allowing non‑driver identification cards to include an anatomical‑gift (organ‑donor) option; enabling customers to print registration certificates online rather than pay a $20 replacement fee; and updating valuation references from NADA to JD Power.

Why it matters: the measure touches routine interactions Vermonters have with the DMV (IDs, registration, refunds and records requests) and would codify recent administrative practices while addressing questions that have arisen in enforcement and customer service.

Most substantive policy clarifications discussed

- Fee exemptions for emergency organizations: The bill clarifies that infrastructure fees do not apply to state, municipal and volunteer firefighting organizations and similar emergency responders (including EMS and technical rescue groups). Committee members asked whether the language clearly covers ambulances and related vehicles; the committee expects Drew Hazleton of Vermont EMS to appear for further questions.

- Veterans plate fees: The proposal removes a $2 emissions fee for veteran plates. Collier said the change reflects longstanding practice. He told the committee the fiscal impact is small; the DMV will run numbers to quantify the revenue reduction. The committee discussed whether the exemption should also cover the EV infrastructure fee; staff said the current draft does not exempt that charge, and the committee may revisit the wording when a representative from the state Office of Veterans Affairs (Robert Burke) attends.

- Online registration certificates: The bill would allow vehicle owners to print registration certificates via their DMV online account instead of paying $20 for a mailed replacement. Committee members asked whether enforcement (for example, law‑enforcement systems or in‑vehicle terminals) will reliably accept a printed certificate; Collier said registration information also appears in enforcement systems and can be verified electronically.

- Reduced fees for low‑income customers: Holders of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) who obtain non‑driver cards would be eligible for reduced fees; DMV staff said fewer than 500 people currently qualify and the change is expected to be nominal in fiscal impact.

- CDL and training standards: Several sections align instructor qualifications and training with federal entry‑level driver training standards and permit photos on commercial learner permits. Committee members flagged a possible follow‑up meeting with Pat McMahon or other CDL stakeholders to discuss implementation.

- Title/valuation and refunds: The bill moves several cross‑references into a consistent numbering scheme, updates valuation references from NADA to JD Power and clarifies administrative processes for computing taxable value of damaged or non‑typical vehicles. It also shortens the timeframe for purchase‑and‑use tax refund requests from 33 months to 12 months and clarifies a one‑year deadline to request a refund under current case law.

- Odometer, DUI and civil suspension language: The committee discussed technical fixes to the odometer statute and a correction to a civil‑suspension provision that removes an apparent typographical error in the blood‑alcohol threshold (the statute read 0.081; staff said the intended threshold is 0.08). Collier said the change is to avoid potential litigation over an unintended numeric discrepancy.

Process, follow ups and implementation notes

Collier said the DMV has an internal process for appeals when motorists dispute vehicle valuations; unresolved appeals may proceed to a hearing and then to Superior Court. He also said the DMV recently added limited‑term staff positions to support its FAST modernization project; the agency expects those positions to end as the vendor‑run project completes later in the year and projected staffing reductions to begin July 1.

Committee members requested additional testimony from several parties before finalizing particular sections: DMV enforcement (to discuss odometer tampering and catalytic converter theft), Vermont EMS (Drew Hazleton) on the emergency vehicle fee exemption, and the state Office of Veterans Affairs (Robert Burke) to clarify veteran eligibility criteria and whether different discharge classifications should be included in the exemption language.

No formal votes took place at the hearing; the committee proceeded section by section and flagged items for potential follow‑up testimony.

Ending

Senate Transportation members said they intend to continue technical review and to invite subject experts to answer narrow questions on enforcement, veteran certification and CDL implementation before advancing final legislation. Collier said he will provide further budget and revenue estimates where fee reductions are proposed.