This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to mandate the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to develop and implement an electronic insurance verification program. The program aims to electronically verify the existence of mandatory liability insurance coverage for motor vehicles. Key provisions include the requirement for the Commissioner to utilize a model established by the Insurance Industry Committee on Motor Vehicle Administration and to potentially contract with third-party vendors for program development and operation. The bill also outlines the responsibilities of insurance companies to cooperate with the program, maintain necessary data, and ensure data security.

Additionally, the bill requires the Insurance Commissioner to propose rules for legislative approval to implement the electronic insurance verification program, including penalties for non-compliance by insurance companies. The language changes in the bill include the replacement of "is authorized to" with "shall" regarding the Commissioner's duty to develop the program, and the introduction of "when" in place of "if" in several sections, indicating a commitment to the program's implementation. The bill emphasizes the importance of data security and the limited use of information obtained through the program, ensuring it is only accessible to the Division of Motor Vehicles, law enforcement, and the judiciary.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 17D-2A-6a, 33-6-31g