House Transportation Committee reports multiple transportation and DMV measures, including aircraft registration fee overhaul

At a meeting of the House Committee on Transportation, members voted to report a block of infrastructure measures and a series of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) bills to the full House, including a measure to modernize aircraft registration fees.

The committee’s Infrastructure and Funding Subcommittee, chaired by Delegate Carr, reported two bills en bloc: House Bill 2020, which would add the town of Newmarket to the list of localities authorized to receive state funds for certain highway-maintenance projects; and House Bill 2138, a Department of Transportation-request bill that removes specified reporting and program requirements tied to the department’s self-bonding and Innovation and Technology Transportation Fund. The committee voted to report those bills to the full House by voice and then on the roll, which closed 19-0 in favor of reporting the items.

The committee’s DMV subcommittee reported four DMV‑related bills. Two were moved in block and reported without amendments: HB 1722, authorizing a revenue‑sharing special license plate for supporters of the Social Butterflies Foundation to raise lupus awareness; and HB 2080, which discontinues the DMV requirement to issue decals displaying a vehicle’s expiration month and year and makes related adjustments to how designated license plates are issued for rental motor vehicles. The committee recorded a 19-0 vote to report those bills.

Separately, members pulled HB 2022 for discussion. HB 2022, patroned in committee by Delegate Anthony, increases fees for aircraft registration and creates an optional multiyear registration (up to three years). Delegate Anthony said the bill "was given to us by the Virginia Department of Aviation" and that a Senate cognate exists; she described the measure as "modernizing our aircraft registration fees which has been desperately since 1979." Delegate Austin and others spoke in support, saying the change would give the Department of Aviation and the Board of Aviation greater latitude to direct airport revenue to where it best serves the Commonwealth. The committee voted to report HB 2022 to the full House; the roll call for that bill closed 17-2.

The committee also considered House Bill 2116 (substitute), patroned by Delegate Keys Kumar, which would add voluntary indicators for nonapparent disabilities on drivers’ licenses, identification cards and learner’s permits and make related changes to DMV forms and procedures. Counsel presented and the committee adopted a substitute that cleaned up technical language created by earlier subcommittee amendments. The committee reported the substitute bill 19-0.

No final House floor actions occurred during the meeting; the committee’s actions were to report bills to the full House. Committee leaders indicated the session ended after the subcommittee reports were completed and the docket was exhausted.

Quotes used in this story come from committee proceedings and are attributed to the speakers recorded in the meeting transcript.