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Transportation committee advances license, registration and plate bills; special calendar item removed
Summary
The Tennessee House Transportation Committee approved multiple bills covering driver's license points, out-of-state license recognition, electronic vehicle registration, license-plate omnibus measures and other items, forwarding them to subsequent committees. A special calendar item was taken off notice and returned to the clerk's desk.
The Tennessee House Transportation Committee on the special calendar advanced a package of bills affecting driver's licenses, vehicle registration and license plates and moved several measures to later stages of the legislative process.
Leader Lambreth described House Bill 69 as creating a portal in the secretary of state's office that would check a prospective registrant's criminal history and immigration status before allowing voter registration; the committee approved the bill 18-1 and sent it to finance.
Representative Travis's House Bill 816, as amended, reduces the number of points assessed for operating a vehicle while driving privileges are canceled, suspended or revoked from eight points to no more than four; the committee approved the amended bill 20-0 and sent it to finance. "This bill does not alter the fine or punishment that can be assessed for driving on a suspended, revoked, or canceled license," the sponsor said during the hearing.
Representative Reeves presented House Bill 749, which would prohibit recognition of out-of-state driver's licenses issued specifically to individuals unlawfully present in the United States and would require the Department of Safety to list such licenses publicly; the committee approved the bill 16-3 and sent it to calendar and rules.
House Bill 537 permits motorists to keep vehicle registrations on an electronic device instead of a paper copy; Representative Harris said law enforcement would retain discretion to reject distorted electronic copies and noted the bill had passed the Senate 32-1. The committee approved the amended bill 19-0 and sent it to calendar and rules.
The committee also advanced two omnibus transportation measures. House Bill 212 is the annual license-plate omnibus from the Department of Transportation and included a large compiled amendment; the committee approved it 19-0 and forwarded it to finance. House Bill 213, the annual transportation omnibus for naming highways, roads and bridges, was amended (three amendments rolled into a single amendment) and approved 18-3; it moves to finance.
On a procedural note, an item previously moved to the special calendar was taken off notice and returned to the clerk's desk after the sponsor was not present.
Votes at a glance: HB 69 — adopted (18-1) to finance; HB 816 — adopted (20-0) to finance; HB 197 — adopted (15-4) to Government Operations (covered in a separate item); HB 749 — adopted (16-3) to calendar and rules; HB 537 — adopted (19-0) to calendar and rules; HB 212 — adopted (19-0) to finance; HB 213 — adopted (18-3) to finance. The committee chair closed the session after completing the calendar.
