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House debates access to DMV crash history as amendment would limit bulk resale
Summary
Lawmakers debated Senate Bill 151, which would let the DMV publish vehicle-crash histories by VIN, and a late amendment that would block bulk electronic distribution and set a $5-per-request fee to prevent outside companies from downloading and reselling the data.
Representative Curtis presented Senate Bill 151, saying the measure would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect and make available information about vehicles involved in accidents by VIN while excluding personal identifying information. "It allows so if you're purchasing a vehicle, you can have the opportunity to research whether or not the vehicle has been involved in an accident," he said.
Representative Farron moved Amendment No. 1 to strike the blanket requirement for bulk electronic dissemination, limit each request to five vehicles and impose a $5 fee per request. Farron said she favored a consumer-friendly approach: "If I'm gonna buy a used car, I can go access a database… I'd really rather just get a report on the car, a piece of paper that I can read as an individual citizen." She argued the bulk-electronic language would let companies download the database and resell vehicle reports at steep markups.
Opponents questioned whether bulk access currently carries a fee and whether limiting bulk distribution would needlessly restrict businesses that provide convenient online services. Representative Curtis asked whether the department already charges for bulk electronic access; Farron said she did not know and asked the bill drafter to verify the fiscal impact. Other members noted the vote was occurring late in the evening and that a revised fiscal note could delay the bill.
Following floor debate, the House moved to circle the bill (place it back on the calendar); the motion to circle was agreed to and the bill was circled for further consideration. The transcript does not record final adoption of Representative Farron's amendment in the provided excerpt.
