H.B. 5044: FIRST ANALYSIS VEHICLE REGISTRATION EXEMPTION
House Bill 5044 (as reported without amendment) Sponsor: Representative Vincent J. Porreca House Committee: Transportation
Senate Committee: Transportation and Tourism
Date Completed: 3-1-96
The Michigan Vehicle Code provides that every motor vehicle, when driven or moved upon a highway, is subject to the Code’s registration and certificate of title provisions, unless a vehicle is specifically exempted. An incident that occurred in Pennsylvania has prompted a suggestion that an additional exemption be allowed. Evidently, the incident involved the derailment of a train that was carrying a shipment of new cars. Since the cars were newly manufactured, they had not yet been registered and titled and therefore could not be legally driven away from the accident site. In case a similar accident occurs in Michigan, some people believe that the law should allow the unregistered automobiles to be driven to a storage location.
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt from the Code’s registration and certificate of title provisions a new motor vehicle driven or moved on a highway only for the purpose of moving the vehicle from an accident site to a storage location if the vehicle were being transported on a railroad car or semitrailer that had been involved in a disabling accident.
MCL 257.216
train derailment or semitrailer accident could not happen here, especially considering the number of vehicles manufactured in this State. Instead of leaving a shipment of new cars stranded at the accident site, until they were registered and titled, and unnecessarily delaying their delivery, it would make sense to permit the cars to be driven to a storage location.
Legislative Analyst: S. Margules
The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on the State depending on the number of situations that arose, if any, under the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Although Michigan apparently has not experienced an incident like the one that occurred in Pennsylvania, there is no reason that a similar
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
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