Transportation Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6569
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION.
Vote Date: 3/26/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/8/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Rep. Geraldo C. Reyes, 75th Dist.; Rep. Joe Polletta, 68th Dist.; Rep. Tom O'Dea, 125th
Dist.; Rep. Michael DiGiovancarlo, 74th Dist.
REASONS FOR BILL:
To (1) revise the membership of the task force tasked with studying compliance with motor
vehicle registration laws, and (2) require a resident of this state to make an appointment with
the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to register a motor vehicle with number plates issued by
another state within thirty days of establishing residency. In aggregate: to prevent residents
from keeping their vehicles registered out of state, which allows for the avoidance of property
tax owed to both The State of Connecticut and the respective municipality.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
The State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice
The State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice presented and submitted written
testimony in support of this bill, offering their specific support for sections 2 and 3"which
seek to remedy the problem of residents failing to register their vehicles in this state." The
testimony briefly summarized the three ways in which it finds the bill beneficial, then
concludes with the following: "The Division is supportive of the balance contained within this
proposal to ensure that vehicles are properly registered with our state so that our
municipalities may receive property taxes and the vehicles comply with our emission
requirements, while lowering the initial fine(s) for any such owner who fails to register, or fails
to schedule an appointment, within their first two months of residency."
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Betsy Gara, Executive Director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns
Betsy Gara presented and submitted written testimony in support of this bill on behalf of the
Connecticut Council of Small Towns. The testimony states that towns are "heavily dependent
on property taxes to fund the delivery of critical services," and that "this bill would allow
municipalities to deter individuals from driving unregistered vehicles which pose public safety
and other concerns," as well as "[provide] municipalities with some welcome and much-
needed revenue."
Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director of the Western Connecticut Council of Small
Governments
Francis R. Pickering presented and submitted written testimony in support of this bill on
behalf of the Western Connecticut Council of Small Governments. The testimony states
WestCOG's appreciation for increasing compliance with motor vehicle registration laws and
decreasing opportunities for tax evasion. The council also attached testimony submitted to
the Planning and Development Committee regarding the adjustment of the state income tax
credit to incentivize residents to register their vehicle in state.
Rep. Michael Digiovancarlo, 74th Assembly District of Connecticut
Representative Michael Digiovancarlo presented and submitted testimony in support of this
bill, specifically Section 2, lines 65 through 114 (pertaining to the change in both the
registration grace period and fee scale change). The testimony references the past times in
which the representative has testified as a Waterbury Police Officer on behalf of this policy
change, then states that "according to the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), 912 tickets were
issued over the last ten years since 2011 but approximately 95% of those same tickets were
dismissed," attesting that current policies are ineffective. The text notes that the issues arise
from the current fee structure, noting that "with nearly 90% of all issued violations being
dismissed, it not only makes local enforcement, who track these vehicles, essentially
ineffective but it also an incredible waste of resources at the municipal level"before
concluding with a commendation of the bill's "3-tier structure" and a reiteration of the
representative's support.
Neil O'Leary, Mayor of Waterbury
Mayor Neil O'Leary presented and submitted testimony in support of this bill. The testimony
begins by attesting that the issue of improperly registered and unregistered vehicles is "not
new," then proceeds to reference data from 2018 in which 3,794 cases of
improperly/unregistered vehicles amounted to 1.2 million dollars in unpaid taxes to
Waterbury. The text notes that the bill would "address future abuse and foster a greater
sense of accountability, all while allowing our residents to register their vehicles in a
reasonable and timely manner," then concludes with a summary of which aspects of the bill
would facilitate this.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
None expressed
Reported by: Ian Bond Date: 4/1/2021
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