AN ACT DECREASING WAIT TIMES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 14-41 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(b) An original operator's license shall expire within a period not exceeding six years following the date of the operator's next birthday. The fee for such license shall be seventy-two dollars. [The] Pursuant to the powers and authority under section 14-3, the commissioner may [authorize] enter into one or more agreements with independent contractors, including, but not limited to, an automobile club or association, licensed in accordance with the provisions of section 14-67 on or before July 1, 2007, authorizing such contractors to issue duplicate licenses and identity cards pursuant to section 14-50a, renew licenses, renew identity cards issued pursuant to section 1-1h and conduct registration transactions at its office facilities. The commissioner may authorize such [automobile clubs or associations] contractors to charge a convenience fee, which shall not exceed [three] five dollars, to each applicant for a license or identity card renewal or duplication, or for a registration transaction.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For the purposes of this section, "certificate of title", "commissioner", "department", "owner" and "vessel" have the same meanings as provided in section 15-202 of the general statutes.

(b) Notwithstanding sections 15-203 to 15-232, inclusive, of the general statutes, and except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a certificate of title shall not be required for a vessel and the commissioner shall not accept an application for a certificate of title or create a certificate of title for the period commencing on the effective date of this section and ending December 31, 2018.

(c) A certificate of title for a vessel issued by the commissioner pursuant to an application for a certificate of title filed during the period commencing January 1, 2016, and ending on the date prior to the effective date of this section may be used to transfer the ownership of the vessel and in such instance, the commissioner shall issue a certificate of title to the transferee provided the transferee delivers an application for the certificate of title to the department.

Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 15-206 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(b) An application for a certificate of title is not required and shall not be accepted, and no certificate of title shall be issued, for:

(1) A documented vessel;

(2) A foreign-documented vessel;

(3) A barge;

(4) An amphibious vehicle for which a certificate of title is issued pursuant to chapter 247 or a similar statute of another state;

(5) A vessel, other than a motorboat, as defined in section 15-141, less than nineteen and one-half feet in length;

(6) A vessel propelled solely by paddle or oar;

(7) A vessel that operates only on a permanently fixed, manufactured course and the movement of which is restricted to or guided by means of a mechanical device to which the watercraft is attached or by which the watercraft is controlled;

(8) A vessel owned by the United States, a foreign government or a state, or a political subdivision thereof, which is used in the performance of governmental functions;

(9) A vessel used solely as a lifeboat on another watercraft;

(10) A vessel before delivery if the vessel is under construction or completed pursuant to contract;

(11) A vessel held by a dealer for sale or lease;

(12) A stationary floating structure that:

(A) Does not have and is not designed to have a mode of propulsion of its own;

(B) Is dependent for utilities upon a continuous utility hookup to a source originating on shore; and

(C) Has no sewage facilities or has a permanent, continuous hookup to a shoreside sewage system;

(13) A vessel designated by the manufacturer as having a model year of [2016] 2018 or earlier, and any vessel manufactured or assembled prior to January 1, [2017] 2019, for which the manufacturer or assembler has not designated a model year; or

(14) A vessel for which a certificate of title has been issued by another state when this state has become the state of principal use for the vessel if one or more of the exceptions enumerated in this subsection apply to such vessel.

Sec. 4. Subsection (i) of section 14-12 of the general statutes are repealed is the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):

(i) The commissioner [or any city, town, borough or other taxing district authorized under subsection (f) of section 14-33] may issue a temporary registration to the owner of a motor vehicle. The application for a temporary registration shall conform to the provisions of this section. A temporary registration may be issued for a time determined by the commissioner and may be renewed from time to time at the discretion of the commissioner. The fee for a temporary registration or any renewal thereof shall be as provided in subsection (n) of section 14-49.

Sec. 5. Subsection (c) of section 14-34a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):

(c) Notwithstanding any such agreement or plan, (1) any such commercial vehicle garaged at any fixed location or which leaves from and returns to one or more points within this state in the normal course of operations, shall be taxable in this state as personal property in the town where such vehicle is garaged; and (2) [registration shall be denied any such vehicle if any personal property taxes are unpaid with respect to such vehicle, as provided in section 14-33; (3)] any such vehicle based in this state shall be subject to the provisions of sections 14-12, as amended by this act, 14-15, 14-15a, 14-16a and chapter 247.

Sec. 6. Section 14-379 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):

As used in this section, sections [14-379] 14-380 to 14-390, inclusive, subdivisions (3) and (4) of section 12-430 and sections 12-431, [14-33,] 14-163 and 53-205, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles;

(2) "Snowmobile" means any self-propelled vehicle designed for travel on snow or ice, except vehicles propelled by sail;

(3) "Snowmobile dealer" means a person engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling new snowmobiles or selling new or used snowmobiles, or both, having an established place of business for the sale, trade and display of such snowmobiles;

(4) "All-terrain vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle designed to travel over unimproved terrain that has been determined by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to be unsuitable for operation on the public highways and is not eligible for registration under chapter 246;

(5) "All-terrain vehicle dealer" means any person engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling new all-terrain vehicles, or both, having an established place of business for the manufacture, sale, trade and display of such all-terrain vehicles; and

(6) "Operate" means to control the course of or otherwise use a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle.

Sec. 7. Section 14-33 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed. (Effective July 1, 2016)

Sec. 8. Section 14-33a of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective July 1, 2016)

Statement of Purpose:

To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]