Committee reviews cleanup bill to align driver and vehicle services statutes and enable electronic transactions

Senator Shelly Vance presented Senate Bill 380 to the House Transportation Committee as a primarily technical cleanup bill to align definitions across Montana Code Annotated and to add authority for counties and vehicle-service electronic transactions. “The new items in driver services will allow counties to provide more services to their customers,” Vance said, and she reserved the right to close after testimony.

Supporters included Michael Walker, Vehicle Services Bureau chief for the Motor Vehicle Division, who said the Motor Vehicle Division supports the bill and described it as a cleanup with benefits for fraud prevention and operational efficiency. Tom Jacobson, representing Montana Registration Services Company, also testified in favor and said the changes improve business efficiencies for titling and registration work.

Committee members asked technical questions about specific line edits — for example, Vice Chair Baum asked about added language on page 18 that referenced a 60-day provision; Walker said the change addressed a current need and that a recently rolled-out system might resolve some issues over time. No opponents or informational witnesses opposed the bill; the witness list was limited to department staff and registration-service stakeholders.

Ending: Senator Vance closed without an extensive statement and suggested Representative Baum could carry the bill on the House floor if the committee moves it forward. No committee vote occurred during the hearing.