Senate Transportation reviews DMV miscellaneous bill, seeks agency testimony on CDL phone rules, motorcycle mufflers and tax-data sharing

On Wednesday the 13th the Senate Transportation Committee reviewed a House-amended version of the DMV miscellaneous bill, flagging three topics for follow-up testimony: hands-free and ‘‘securely mounted’’ device rules for commercial drivers, motorcycle exhaust and inspection language, and a Ways and Means amendment that would let the tax department share certain return information to demonstrate FAA grant compliance.

Legislative counsel Damian Leonard told the committee the House trimmed and reorganized sections the Senate had sent, keeping the Senate’s Real ID-related updates to non-driver IDs while removing material addressed in H549 that the governor already signed. Leonard described the remainder of the House changes as mostly technical but said several provisions warrant clarification or agency input.

Why it matters: the bill bundles a range of technical changes that collectively affect road safety enforcement, vehicle inspections, registration practices and how state agencies meet federal reporting rules. Committee members worried that the statutory language does not yet provide clear guidance for enforcement or protect taxpayer confidentiality in the Ways and Means amendment.

Hands-free and CDL rules

The House added a new section to align texting and handheld-device violations for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders with modern vehicle features. Under the House language, CDL operators would be permitted to use hands-free systems but must keep any portable electronic device ‘‘securely mounted’’ (for example in a bracket or charging cradle) so it is not held. The bill explicitly excludes drivers required to use ignition interlock devices from operating with a CDL.

Leonard said the change came at DMV’s request to reflect current vehicle technology and safety practice. Committee members pressed for a precise statutory definition of ‘‘securely mounted’’ and asked DMV to explain how enforcement would work in practice—whether inspectors would require visible brackets, permit devices that appear connected via in-dashboard screens, or rely on post-stop observation. No member suggested immediate removal of the provision; instead the committee asked staff to invite DMV to clarify implementation before the committee takes final action.

Motorcycle exhaust and inspection standards

The House replaced language in the Senate bill that had relied on EPA labeling for aftermarket motorcycle exhausts with a functional requirement: a motorcycle must have a muffler or other mechanical device (for example baffling) that reduces emitted noise. The House language makes it a violation if muffler baffles have been removed, if a cutout or bypass has been installed, or if a straight pipe or similar exhaust that lacks noise-reduction features is used. The House did not include a numeric decibel standard in the statute; the committee noted federal EPA testing uses an 80 dB reference on a closed track, but that the federal test is not directly applicable to most state inspection contexts.

Leonard said the change reflects enforcement realities—many aftermarket mufflers lack EPA stamps and EPA certification testing is oriented to manufacturers and point-of-sale, not routine state inspection. Committee members discussed whether the Motor Vehicle Department should be asked to update the inspection manual to reflect the new statutory language and whether noise advocates or other stakeholders should testify about practical enforcement and community noise impacts.

Temporary plates, inspections and other housekeeping items

The House also proposed repealing temporary paper plates issued during the COVID period after DMV reported many temporary plates never resulted in permanent registration, creating unpaid tax liability and contributing to abandoned vehicles. The House added a visual emissions check for limited-use specialty vehicles (in addition to safety inspection), clarified license-plate covering language to avoid conflict with separate statutory exceptions, and revised insurance indemnification text so obligations tie to supporting documents meeting statutory requirements.

Cold-weather flotation devices

The House narrowed penalties for failing to wear cold-weather personal flotation devices, making violations educational rather than subject to the usual $50 fine plus judicial surcharge. The bill directs the Department of Public Safety, in consultation with relevant agencies, to develop public-education materials by Sept. 30 to raise awareness of the cold-weather flotation requirements.

Tax-data sharing for FAA grant compliance

A Ways and Means amendment drew particular scrutiny. It would permit the commissioner of taxes, subject to conditions the commissioner imposes (including confidentiality protections), to disclose return or return information to the Agency of Transportation (AOT) or the FAA when the information is necessary to show compliance with FAA grant conditions related to airport revenues. Leonard said the request originated with AOT and that tax and AOT staff had worked with the Ways and Means chair to draft the narrowly scoped language.

Committee members asked how the tax commissioner would protect individually identifiable data—particularly when a small number of revenue sources could allow third parties to infer identifiable information—and requested that Tax and AOT staff explain how the disclosure would be limited to aggregated or non-identifying data in practice.

Next steps

The committee did not vote on the bill. Members agreed to invite DMV, the Department of Taxes (staff Michelle and Abby Shepard were suggested), and AOT to testify on enforcement details, privacy safeguards, and diagnostic or inspection manual changes. Several members said they did not oppose the House changes in principle but wanted agency-level clarifications before committing to concurrence or amendments. Damian Leonard said he would follow up with the tax office and return with more detail on confidentiality protections.

Quote

"For the record, I'm Damian Leonard from the Office of Legislative Council," Leonard said when explaining the House changes and where he thought agency testimony would help clarify statutory ambiguities.

The committee recessed without taking final action and set a date to request witnesses on the three topics the committee identified: hands-free/CDL implementation, motorcycle-exhaust enforcement, and tax-data privacy for FAA grant reporting.

Ending

The Senate Transportation Committee left the major policy choices on the DMV miscellaneous bill unresolved and focused instead on gathering agency input to resolve definitional and enforcement gaps before any final vote.