Commissioner John Valentine of the Utah State Tax Commission told the Transportation Interim Committee the motor vehicle division amendments are a cleanup bill to address gross‑axle and other technical problems and that Tax Commission staff, including deputy executive director Jason Gardner, worked with committee staff to resolve earlier issues.

Representative Benjamin Thurston pressed the commission on a provision that removes a separate insurance requirement for vehicles that are registered but reported as not being driven on public roads, arguing it could create an incentive for uninsured drivers to avoid detection. Valentine and Tax Commission staff said driving without insurance remains a primary offense that can be enforced and impounded when discovered, and they noted enforcement depends on detection and usual probable‑cause standards. The commission also mentioned plate‑designation and plate‑reader options as enforcement tools but declined to advocate expanded warrantless plate‑reader authority.

A member of the public, Kevin Daly, a classic‑car owner, told the committee he supports allowing owners to suspend insurance for vehicles kept in storage and said owners who use seasonal insurance are responsible for reactivating coverage when they drive. Senator Winterton moved that the committee favorably recommend the Motor Vehicle Division Amendments; the motion passed in committee with three negative votes (Dominguez, Sawyer and Thurston). The committee recorded the motion as a favorable recommendation to the floor.

The committee’s discussion highlighted a policy tradeoff: simplifying registration categories to resolve tax/registration avoidance while guarding against unintended increases in uninsured vehicles on Utah roads. The Tax Commission said the statutory change was prompted by concerns about out‑of‑state registrations and that removing certain phrases was the cleanest fix identified in coordination with insurers.

The committee did not adopt additional enforcement changes at this hearing; lawmakers flagged potential consumer‑protection and enforcement follow‑ups for staff review. The Tax Commission and committee staff will continue coordination ahead of any legislative floor action.