ASSUMPTIONS:
1. This Act
would change State policy regarding the suspension of licenses for failure to
pay voluntary assessments. Currently, driver’s licenses may be suspended
for failure to pay voluntary assessments fines. This Act would no longer
suspend driver’s licenses for these events, but rather would refuse renewal of
licenses if there are outstanding fines. Driver’s licenses are renewed
every 5 to 8 years; therefore, there will be cases where people wait until such
time as their license expires to make payments.
2.
In 2013, the Justice of the Peace Courts (JP Courts)
sent out 41,605 suspension notices for failure to pay a voluntary assessment
within 30 days from the date of arrest. Suspension notices advise a
person that their driver’s license will be suspended in 15 days absent
payment. The Division of Motor Vehicles suspends approximately 11,000 licenses
annually for failure to pay. Therefore, there were approximately 30,000
events in 2013 when a person received a suspension notice and paid the
voluntary assessment prior to actual suspension.
3.
According to JP Courts, an average total fine is
approximately $94.50. If all 30,000 persons who paid upon receipt of the
suspension notice were motivated by the notice alone, the maximum amount of
revenue payments that could be delayed is approximately $2,800,000. This
estimate includes all fine components, including the original fines and
associated surcharges and assessments, such as Transportation Trust Fund, Court
Security and the Fund to Combat Violent Crimes.
4.
While many fines would eventually be paid, the
payment could be years later at the time a person’s license would expire.
The first few years of implementation will most likely see a revenue loss, the
amount of which is indeterminable.
Cost:
Fiscal Year 2016 Indeterminable
Fiscal Year 2017 Indeterminable
Fiscal Year 2018 Indeterminable
Office of
Controller General
(Amounts are
shown in whole dollars)
June 16,
2015
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