Bill Summary for Bill Number HB15-1089

Date: 02/04/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1089

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & ENERGY

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment C). The motion p Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment D). The motion p Adopt amendment L.003 (Attachment E). The motion p Refer House Bill 15-1089, as amended, to the Commi	Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection PASS

1:38 PM

Representative Tyler, Chair, called the meeting to order. A quorum was present.

01:40 PM -- HB15-1089

Representative Primavera, prime sponsor, came to the table to present House Bill 15-1089 and distributed documents providing information on kei vehicles (Attachments A and B). She explained the genesis of the bill, and said that the bill allows the Department of Revenue (DOR) to title, register, and issue a rear license plate to kei vehicles—also known as microtrucks or utility transportation vehicles. Under the bill, a person with a valid driver's license and insurance may operate a registered kei vehicle on a roadway with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour (mph) or less, unless it is a limited access highway. She explained Amendment L.001 (Attachment C), Amendment L.002 (Attachment D), and Amendment L.003 (Attachment E). She responded to questions on how other states regulate kei vehicles, where kei vehicles are manufactured, how kei vehicles are prohibited from getting on a road with a speed limit of 75 mph, which types of roads kei vehicles are confined to in other states, what types of vehicles would fit under the bill, and whether law enforcement had participated in the drafting of the bill. Committee discussion of which vehicles the bill would apply to ensued.

150204 AttachE.pdf

01:58 PM -- RJ Hicks, representing the Colorado Motor Carriers Association (CMCA), testified against the bill, noting that it needed to be amended. He stated that the fees associated with registration for kei vehicles were not adequate, and said that with passage of Amendment L.003 the CMCA would be neutral on the bill.

02:01 PM -- Mark Radtke, representing the Colorado Municipal League (CML), stated that the CML was originally in opposition to the bill, but was withdrawing this opposition in light of Amendment L.003. He responded to questions regarding whether other vehicle types should be included in the bill.

02:04 PM -- Pat Malloy, representing Eaton Minitrucks, testified in support of the bill. He stated that his company imports kei vehicles from Japan, which have been imported into the United States by various companies for ten years. Mr. Malloy described the size and operation of the vehicles and their security features. He discussed how long customers have been buying kei vehicles from his company for use on their farms and in other agricultural settings, and why they purchase such vehicles. He stated that he believes there are over 1,000 kei vehicles in Colorado already. He responded to questions on the common features of kei vehicles, other vehicles that they might resemble in terms of size and features, whether the vehicles meet crash and impact standards, if he is a licensed automotive dealer and whether he would be willing to become one to sell kei vehicles if it were necessary, whether vehicle identification numbers are required for keis, and if vehicle history is tracked on keis.

02:17 PM

Representative Primavera explained Amendment L.001, which amends the bill to state that kei vehicles are not golf cars.


BILL:	HB15-1089
TIME:	02:17:29 PM
MOVED:	Mitsch Bush
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment C). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Melton
		VOTE
	Becker J.
	Buck
	Carver
	Coram
	Esgar
	Kraft-Tharp
	Melton
	Moreno
	Neville P.
	Nordberg
	Winter
	Mitsch Bush
	Tyler

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

02:22 PM

Representative Primavera explained Amendment L.002, which she said came at the request of CMCA, CML, and DOR, and requires that keis will be registered annually and that the driver will have proof of insurance. She responded to questions on whether keis fit the definition of "motor vehicle." Jery Payne, OLLS, came to the table to explain that kei vehicles do not fit the strict definition of a motor vehicle because they are not manufactured in the United States. He responded to questions on the definition of a motor vehicle and how kei vehicles fit under this. The committee discussed the merits of the bill, the types of vehicle it addresses, where kei vehicles can be manufactured, and whether specific ownership taxes (SOT) would need to be paid on kei vehicles.


BILL:	HB15-1089
TIME:	02:30:13 PM
MOVED:	Mitsch Bush
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment D). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Esgar
		VOTE
	Becker J.
	Buck
	Carver
	Coram
	Esgar
	Kraft-Tharp
	Melton
	Moreno
	Neville P.
	Nordberg
	Winter
	Mitsch Bush
	Tyler

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

02:30 PM

Representative Primavera explained that Amendment L.003 addresses how title and registration fees for kei vehicles are handled.


BILL:	HB15-1089
TIME:	02:30:36 PM
MOVED:	Mitsch Bush
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.003 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Melton
		VOTE
	Becker J.
	Buck
	Carver
	Coram
	Esgar
	Kraft-Tharp
	Melton
	Moreno
	Neville P.
	Nordberg
	Winter
	Mitsch Bush
	Tyler

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

02:31 PM

Representative Primavera made her closing comments on the bill. She stated that kei vehicles are safer than a number of other types of vehicle on the road, such as motorcycles. She also noted the fuel efficiency of keis and the multiple uses they can be applied to. The committee discussed the merits of the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1089
TIME:	02:34:11 PM
MOVED:	Tyler
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1089, as amended, to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Coram
		VOTE
	Becker J.	Yes
	Buck	Yes
	Carver	Yes
	Coram	Yes
	Esgar	Yes
	Kraft-Tharp	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Neville P.	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Winter	Yes
	Mitsch Bush	Yes
	Tyler	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS